China has placed a temporary halt on exports of processed eels to Japan after the discovery of the banned substance malachite green.

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The antibacterial agent, which is believed to be carcinogenic, was detected in eels at Kobe and Osaka ports on 4 August, prompting China to place a ban on processed eel exports to Japan this week, reported the Financial Times.


Eels, or unagi as they are known, are a popular food in Japan, with the Japanese getting though 150,000 tonnes a year. The country even has a national eel day.


More than 70% of eels that are consumed in Japan are actually imported from China and Taiwan, although many consumers in Japan do not know this, the newspaper reported.

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