Six eel and eel product samples tested for pesticide endosulfan have been proven harmless to health, the Centre for Food Safety says.

No endosulfan was detected in four of the samples while the remaining two live eels contained about 0.02 ppm of the pesiticide.

The centre said the minute residues found may be caused by environmental contamination, and will not affect food safety as it is well below the safe limit of 0.1 ppm to 2 ppm.

As a registered pesiticide, endosulfan is normally not used in fish as some species are very sensitive to it.

The centre reiterated that normal consumption of live eels or eel products in Hong Kong should not pose any adverse health effects. It will monitor the situation closely.