Clipping Board » Illness Enters through Mouth ─ The information that has been made public is often just the tip of the iceberg...
Update Date: 2009/01/19 12:24 by Zhang Beiqi
When stocking up for the New Year, it's better to buy fewer processed foods. The Taipei City Health Bureau's random inspection of New Year goods on the market found that about 10% were substandard, mostly due to preservatives harmful to the liver and kidneys, or excessive artificial sweeteners that could lead to bladder cancer with long-term consumption. However, the highest failure rate was found in bulk daylily flowers, with a staggering 47% exceeding the allowed levels of sulfur dioxide used for bleaching, which could potentially trigger asthma.
Among the table full of substandard New Year goods, dehydrated daylily flowers were the most common, all unbranded and sold in bulk, with nearly half failing the test due to excessive sulfur dioxide bleaching. The most extreme case came from Dihua Street, with 32 grams of bleach residue per kilogram, eight times the allowed limit.
Bleached daylily flowers could potentially trigger asthma and have a sour smell. If accidentally purchased, soaking them in cold water for an hour or in 45-degree hot water for 20 minutes can remove 70% of the bleach. Another issue found was in bulk dried tofu purchased in Songshan District, which contained two types of preservatives at six times the allowed limit.
Other bulk dried tofu, tofu strips, and even packaged dried tofu mostly contained excessive levels of sorbic acid, which can still be metabolized. Bulk dried radish contained benzoic acid, harmful to the liver and kidneys. Hong Kong-style radish cake sold on Anju Street was found to contain the more toxic dehydroacetic acid.
Jiang Yumei, a senior technical specialist at the Taipei City Health Bureau, said, "In the past two years, 100% of the products passed the inspection, but this year we found that about 43% were substandard. All two packaged products passed the inspection, but 47% of the bulk products failed."
Be cautious with preserved fruits as well, as long-term excessive consumption could lead to bladder cancer. This package of preserved plums contained cyclamate at 16 times the allowed limit. Similarly, bulk dried sweet plums, dried loquat with fritillary bulb, and peanuts also contained the same artificial sweetener. During the New Year, it's better to be cautious with consuming too many processed foods to avoid harming your body.
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 090119/ 8/ 1d823. html
40% of Bulk Golden Needles Exceed Bleaching Limits, Highest in 3 Years
When stocking up for the New Year, it's better to buy fewer processed foods. The Taipei City Health Bureau's random inspection of New Year goods on the market found that about 10% were substandard, mostly due to preservatives harmful to the liver and kidneys, or excessive artificial sweeteners that could lead to bladder cancer with long-term consumption. However, the highest failure rate was found in bulk daylily flowers, with a staggering 47% exceeding the allowed levels of sulfur dioxide used for bleaching, which could potentially trigger asthma.
Among the table full of substandard New Year goods, dehydrated daylily flowers were the most common, all unbranded and sold in bulk, with nearly half failing the test due to excessive sulfur dioxide bleaching. The most extreme case came from Dihua Street, with 32 grams of bleach residue per kilogram, eight times the allowed limit.
Bleached daylily flowers could potentially trigger asthma and have a sour smell. If accidentally purchased, soaking them in cold water for an hour or in 45-degree hot water for 20 minutes can remove 70% of the bleach. Another issue found was in bulk dried tofu purchased in Songshan District, which contained two types of preservatives at six times the allowed limit.
Other bulk dried tofu, tofu strips, and even packaged dried tofu mostly contained excessive levels of sorbic acid, which can still be metabolized. Bulk dried radish contained benzoic acid, harmful to the liver and kidneys. Hong Kong-style radish cake sold on Anju Street was found to contain the more toxic dehydroacetic acid.
Jiang Yumei, a senior technical specialist at the Taipei City Health Bureau, said, "In the past two years, 100% of the products passed the inspection, but this year we found that about 43% were substandard. All two packaged products passed the inspection, but 47% of the bulk products failed."
Be cautious with preserved fruits as well, as long-term excessive consumption could lead to bladder cancer. This package of preserved plums contained cyclamate at 16 times the allowed limit. Similarly, bulk dried sweet plums, dried loquat with fritillary bulb, and peanuts also contained the same artificial sweetener. During the New Year, it's better to be cautious with consuming too many processed foods to avoid harming your body.
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 090119/ 8/ 1d823. html