Clipping Board » Illness Enters through Mouth ─ The information that has been made public is often just the tip of the iceberg...
【United Evening News】Reporter Lu Peihua, Taipei
The Consumers' Foundation recently tested commercially available donuts, fried dough sticks, and steamed buns, and found that 16 out of 24 samples (66%) contained aluminum, including products from well-known brands such as Mister Donut, Fuhang Soy Milk, Lai Lai Soy Milk, and Yonghe Soy Milk King. The foundation stated that preliminary research indicates excessive intake of aluminum can lead to neurological disorders, including memory loss and cognitive decline. Since fried dough sticks and steamed buns are common breakfast items, and many children enjoy eating donuts, long-term consumption may pose health risks.
**Donuts and Steamed Buns with Leavening Agents; Fried Dough Sticks and Kelp with Alum**
Huang Yusheng, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, pointed out that last year’s tests on jellyfish and pancakes revealed aluminum levels ranging from 100 to 500 ppm, alarming consumers. Consumers then suggested expanding the testing scope to include foods processed with leavening agents and alum-bleached products. In this round of inspections, donuts and steamed buns were found to contain aluminum due to the addition of leavening agents, while fried dough sticks and kelp contained aluminum from the use of alum.
Among the test results, fried dough sticks and kelp had the highest aluminum content. All six fried dough stick samples contained aluminum, with levels ranging from 200 to 600 ppm, including products from the renowned Fuhang Soy Milk. Yonghe Soy Milk King, Yamei Soy Milk King, and Qingquan Soy Milk King had the most severe cases, with aluminum levels as high as 400 to 600 ppm. Two out of three kelp samples also contained aluminum, purchased from RT-Mart Zhonghe Store and Matsusei Supermarket Global Store, with levels between 300 and 400 ppm.
Half of the six donut samples, a favorite among children, contained aluminum, including the well-known chain Mister Donut. Its "Honey Donut" had aluminum levels as high as 200 to 300 ppm. Other tested items, such as steamed buns and vermicelli, also contained aluminum, but at lower levels of 30 to 130 ppm.
**Children Consuming Four Donuts a Week May Ingest Excessive Aluminum**
According to a 2011 report by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) for aluminum is 2 mg per kilogram of body weight. For a 30 kg child, the weekly limit is 60 mg. If a child consumes four donuts per week with an average aluminum content of 250 ppm (assuming each donut weighs 60 grams), they would already exceed the safe intake level. This does not account for other potential sources of aluminum in their daily diet.
Huang Yusheng noted that Taiwan has yet to establish regulations on aluminum content in food, while China has set a maximum residue limit of 100 ppm. With increasing cross-strait trade, Taiwan risks facing a flood of aluminum-containing food imports if regulations are not promptly implemented. Last year, the Food and Drug Administration stated it had convened experts to discuss the issue, but no standards have been set so far. The Consumers' Foundation’s expanded testing aims to urge the agency to accelerate the process.
Source: http://mag. udn. com/ mag/ life/ storypage. jsp? f_ART_ID=382220
Consumer Group Finds 66% of Fried Dough Contains Aluminum
The Consumers' Foundation recently tested commercially available donuts, fried dough sticks, and steamed buns, and found that 16 out of 24 samples (66%) contained aluminum, including products from well-known brands such as Mister Donut, Fuhang Soy Milk, Lai Lai Soy Milk, and Yonghe Soy Milk King. The foundation stated that preliminary research indicates excessive intake of aluminum can lead to neurological disorders, including memory loss and cognitive decline. Since fried dough sticks and steamed buns are common breakfast items, and many children enjoy eating donuts, long-term consumption may pose health risks.
**Donuts and Steamed Buns with Leavening Agents; Fried Dough Sticks and Kelp with Alum**
Huang Yusheng, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, pointed out that last year’s tests on jellyfish and pancakes revealed aluminum levels ranging from 100 to 500 ppm, alarming consumers. Consumers then suggested expanding the testing scope to include foods processed with leavening agents and alum-bleached products. In this round of inspections, donuts and steamed buns were found to contain aluminum due to the addition of leavening agents, while fried dough sticks and kelp contained aluminum from the use of alum.
Among the test results, fried dough sticks and kelp had the highest aluminum content. All six fried dough stick samples contained aluminum, with levels ranging from 200 to 600 ppm, including products from the renowned Fuhang Soy Milk. Yonghe Soy Milk King, Yamei Soy Milk King, and Qingquan Soy Milk King had the most severe cases, with aluminum levels as high as 400 to 600 ppm. Two out of three kelp samples also contained aluminum, purchased from RT-Mart Zhonghe Store and Matsusei Supermarket Global Store, with levels between 300 and 400 ppm.
Half of the six donut samples, a favorite among children, contained aluminum, including the well-known chain Mister Donut. Its "Honey Donut" had aluminum levels as high as 200 to 300 ppm. Other tested items, such as steamed buns and vermicelli, also contained aluminum, but at lower levels of 30 to 130 ppm.
**Children Consuming Four Donuts a Week May Ingest Excessive Aluminum**
According to a 2011 report by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) for aluminum is 2 mg per kilogram of body weight. For a 30 kg child, the weekly limit is 60 mg. If a child consumes four donuts per week with an average aluminum content of 250 ppm (assuming each donut weighs 60 grams), they would already exceed the safe intake level. This does not account for other potential sources of aluminum in their daily diet.
Huang Yusheng noted that Taiwan has yet to establish regulations on aluminum content in food, while China has set a maximum residue limit of 100 ppm. With increasing cross-strait trade, Taiwan risks facing a flood of aluminum-containing food imports if regulations are not promptly implemented. Last year, the Food and Drug Administration stated it had convened experts to discuss the issue, but no standards have been set so far. The Consumers' Foundation’s expanded testing aims to urge the agency to accelerate the process.
Source: http://mag. udn. com/ mag/ life/ storypage. jsp? f_ART_ID=382220