According to a report by United Daily News reporter Chen Yingzi in Taipei, the Taipei City Health Bureau has detected the illegal addition of the preservative benzoic acid in unpackaged tofu. Experts point out that benzoic acid has high toxicity, is not easily soluble in water, and has a high boiling point, making it difficult to remove by boiling. Therefore, consumers should be cautious when purchasing tofu, avoiding products with unclear labeling or no brand, and should also pay attention to whether the refrigeration facilities in the store are adequate.

Business owner Wang Zhengming noted that because tofu is made at room temperature and unpackaged tofu is exposed to air, it is difficult to preserve and often requires long-distance transportation, making it easy for businesses to illegally add preservatives.

Wang Zhengming explained that boxed tofu is produced by injecting soy milk and a coagulant into a box, sealing it, and then heating it to coagulate. Therefore, once coagulated, it is not exposed to air again and does not require preservatives. Even boxed tofu can only be stored in the refrigerator for ten days and should be consumed within one or two days after opening.

Lin Jieliang, director of the Toxicology Department at Chang Gung Hospital, stated that benzoic acid is a legal preservative but has relatively high toxicity. It is only allowed to be added to certain processed foods, such as snacks and preserved fruits, with strict dosage requirements. The failure of preservative tests in commercially available foods is often not due to excessive addition but because it is added to foods where preservatives are not permitted, such as tofu.

Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ 060110/ 15/ 2qroi. html