Eleven food samples have been found to contain excessive metallic contamination, antioxidants or toxins, the Centre for Food Safety warns.

In its October food safety report released today, it said the 10 foods were taken from 4,900 samples of vegetables, fruit, meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, frozen confections, cereals and grains.

One Chinese parsley and two Chinese spinach samples were found to contain cadmium.

A fresh beef sample contained sulphur dioxide, and a shredded pork stick had antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene.

A sample of swordfish sashimi had excessive mercury, while a sample of fresh lobster contained excessive cadmium. A sample of lo shui cuttlefish had the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus.

A rice cracker with peanut had excessive aflatoxins, while a coconut sweet soup with mango and sago was contaminated with salmonella.

A white-cabbage and pork dumpling was found to contain excessive nitrite.

The centre has asked vendors to stop selling and dispose the affected food, taking further samples and issuing warning letters.