Authorities in northeast China say fresh eggs found to contain the industrial chemical melamine in Hong Kong might have been subject to feed contamination at mainland poultry farms.

Dalian City government on Wednesday issued a statement saying that eggs found with the chemical by the Center for Food Safety (CFS) in Hong Kong over the weekend were produced on Sept. 6 by Hanovo Foods Co. Ltd. in the city.

The tainted eggs, which had a best-by date of Oct. 25, came from a Hanovo-owned farm that produced exclusively for the Hong Kong market.

The city government said it had acted immediately after the quality supervision, inspection and quarantine bureau of Liaoning Province informed it of the contamination on Sept. 27.

It had ordered Hanovo, a privately-owned mainland firm, to recall all tainted eggs and suspended the company's exports.

The city quality supervision, inspection and quarantine bureau, in cooperation with other departments, had dispatched inspectors to farms owned by Hanovo and tested their eggs.

The bureau had also carried out sample tests of fresh eggs supplied to the city markets.

Altogether 72 batches of eggs had been inspected, but no further cases of contamination had been identified, said the statement.

Officials at Hanovo, which had already recalled seven containers of eggs in Hong Kong and had another two containers sealed by Oct.5, could not be reached for comment.

City authorities are continuing their investigation into the causes of the contamination.

(Xinhua News Agency October 29, 2008)