Clipping Board » Illness Enters through Mouth ─ The information that has been made public is often just the tip of the iceberg...
A batch of dried shark fins imported from mainland China was found by the Department of Health to contain formaldehyde (formalin). The batch, weighing 400 kilograms, is currently held at customs. Lin Jieliang, director of the Clinical Toxicology Department at Linkou Chang Gung Hospital, stated that formaldehyde is a potential carcinogen. When purchasing shark fins, one should check for any unusual chemical odors, and the color should not be excessively white.
In addition to formaldehyde, Lin Jieliang warned that shark fins come from the fins of large fish like sharks, which have higher mercury levels than fish meat. Last week, he encountered a female patient in her sixties who, feeling that her past life was too difficult and now enjoying better financial conditions, bought a large stack of shark fin meal vouchers and consumed shark fins daily. As a result, her mercury levels were nearly twice that of a normal person. After stopping her shark fin consumption, her mercury levels gradually decreased.
Xie Dinghong, deputy director of the Department of Food Safety at the Department of Health, mentioned that all shark fins on the market are imported from abroad. Last year, the total import volume was 151 metric tons, with 72 metric tons coming from mainland China, making it the largest source, followed by Indonesia.
Xie Dinghong pointed out that, according to regulations, no food product is allowed to contain formaldehyde. The batch of shark fins found to contain formaldehyde was imported by Chaofeng Aquatic Products Company, registered in Datong District, Taipei City. If the second round of testing also fails, the batch will be required to be destroyed by law.
Xie Dinghong stated that there are no shark fin processing plants in Taiwan, only imitation shark fin factories that produce fake shark fins using animal gelatin. These imitation shark fins are spindle-shaped, with pointed ends and a rounder middle, and are more golden and transparent in color compared to real shark fins. They typically do not contain formaldehyde. Genuine shark fins, on the other hand, are more irregular in shape and often connected together.
Lin Jieliang explained that formaldehyde is added to food primarily for bleaching, preservation, and防腐 purposes. Besides shark fins, other seafood products may also be illegally treated with formaldehyde by businesses. He further noted that the carcinogenic effects of formaldehyde on animals have been confirmed, while for humans, it is classified as a "potential carcinogen," increasing the risk of nasal and digestive tract cancers. Consuming food containing formaldehyde can lead to toxic reactions, damaging liver and kidney functions. Long-term exposure to low doses of formaldehyde can also cause menstrual disorders in women and miscarriages in pregnant women.
Source: http://udn. com/ NEWS/ LIFE/ LIF1/ 4292356. shtml
Daily Shark Fin Consumption Leads to Mercury Poisoning
In addition to formaldehyde, Lin Jieliang warned that shark fins come from the fins of large fish like sharks, which have higher mercury levels than fish meat. Last week, he encountered a female patient in her sixties who, feeling that her past life was too difficult and now enjoying better financial conditions, bought a large stack of shark fin meal vouchers and consumed shark fins daily. As a result, her mercury levels were nearly twice that of a normal person. After stopping her shark fin consumption, her mercury levels gradually decreased.
Xie Dinghong, deputy director of the Department of Food Safety at the Department of Health, mentioned that all shark fins on the market are imported from abroad. Last year, the total import volume was 151 metric tons, with 72 metric tons coming from mainland China, making it the largest source, followed by Indonesia.
Xie Dinghong pointed out that, according to regulations, no food product is allowed to contain formaldehyde. The batch of shark fins found to contain formaldehyde was imported by Chaofeng Aquatic Products Company, registered in Datong District, Taipei City. If the second round of testing also fails, the batch will be required to be destroyed by law.
Xie Dinghong stated that there are no shark fin processing plants in Taiwan, only imitation shark fin factories that produce fake shark fins using animal gelatin. These imitation shark fins are spindle-shaped, with pointed ends and a rounder middle, and are more golden and transparent in color compared to real shark fins. They typically do not contain formaldehyde. Genuine shark fins, on the other hand, are more irregular in shape and often connected together.
Lin Jieliang explained that formaldehyde is added to food primarily for bleaching, preservation, and防腐 purposes. Besides shark fins, other seafood products may also be illegally treated with formaldehyde by businesses. He further noted that the carcinogenic effects of formaldehyde on animals have been confirmed, while for humans, it is classified as a "potential carcinogen," increasing the risk of nasal and digestive tract cancers. Consuming food containing formaldehyde can lead to toxic reactions, damaging liver and kidney functions. Long-term exposure to low doses of formaldehyde can also cause menstrual disorders in women and miscarriages in pregnant women.
Source: http://udn. com/ NEWS/ LIFE/ LIF1/ 4292356. shtml