Clipping Board » Illness Enters through Mouth ─ The information that has been made public is often just the tip of the iceberg...
The Taipei City Department of Health held a press conference yesterday morning to announce that several bread products were found to contain preservatives, urging the public to stop consuming them. Many people enjoy purchasing long-shelf-life items like egg yolk pastries and bread from convenience stores and supermarkets due to their varied textures and popularity. The Taipei City Department of Health recently conducted tests on commercially available egg yolk pastries and bread, revealing that out of 33 samples, 8 exceeded preservative limits, with a failure rate of nearly 25%. Long-term consumption of such products can harm the liver and kidneys.
Additionally, the Department of Health recently tested commercially available miso, finding that 1 out of 11 samples exceeded preservative limits.
The Department of Health recently tested bread products and egg yolk pastries with a shelf life of over 15 days, including items from hypermarkets, supermarkets, and convenience stores. Among the 33 products tested, 1 egg yolk pastry and 7 bread items were found to contain excessive amounts of preservatives such as sorbic acid and propionic acid, resulting in a failure rate of 24.2%.
Jiang Yumei, Director of the Drug and Food Management Division of the Department of Health, stated that the non-compliant brands included apple bread from Yongfeng Food, French bread, healthy bread, French butter bread, brown sugar bread from Jifeng Food Factory, sweetheart bread from Shengchang Food, and blueberry and egg yolk pastries from Yinmao Company.
In addition to requesting the removal of these products from shelves, the Department of Health has also referred the manufacturers to the Kaohsiung County and Yunlin County health bureaus for fines ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$150,000.
The recent testing targeted well-known retailers such as PX Mart, Taipei Agricultural Products, Matsusei Supermarket, and Carrefour. Retailers have stated that they have already removed the non-compliant products from their shelves.
Jiang Yumei explained that food additives like sorbic acid can enhance the texture of products, making them chewier and more elastic, while also inhibiting mold, yeast, and aerobic bacteria. These are commonly used preservatives in food, and like propionic acid, they are considered low-toxicity preservatives. However, they should not be added to food indiscriminately or in excessive amounts. Long-term or excessive consumption of dehydroacetic acid can burden liver and kidney metabolism and even lead to cellular mutations, posing health risks.
The Department of Health also tested commercially available miso, finding that a self-produced miso from "Niansheng Food Factory" in Wanhua District contained 1.53g/kg of sorbic acid, exceeding the food safety standard of 1.0g/kg.
In addition to requiring the removal of the product from shelves, the Department of Health fined the manufacturer between NT$30,000 and NT$150,000 and ordered the destruction of the miso. Yang Liu Mei, the owner of Niansheng Food Factory, stated that they have improved their production process and no longer add these preservatives to their miso.
Consumers with any concerns about food products can contact the Department of Health's Drug and Food Service Hotline at 27208777 or visit the Department of Health's website: http://www. health. gov. tw/ .
Source: http://udn. com/ NEWS/ LIFE/ LIF1/ 4645588. shtml
25% of Bread and Egg Tarts in Taipei Fail Preservative Tests
Additionally, the Department of Health recently tested commercially available miso, finding that 1 out of 11 samples exceeded preservative limits.
The Department of Health recently tested bread products and egg yolk pastries with a shelf life of over 15 days, including items from hypermarkets, supermarkets, and convenience stores. Among the 33 products tested, 1 egg yolk pastry and 7 bread items were found to contain excessive amounts of preservatives such as sorbic acid and propionic acid, resulting in a failure rate of 24.2%.
Jiang Yumei, Director of the Drug and Food Management Division of the Department of Health, stated that the non-compliant brands included apple bread from Yongfeng Food, French bread, healthy bread, French butter bread, brown sugar bread from Jifeng Food Factory, sweetheart bread from Shengchang Food, and blueberry and egg yolk pastries from Yinmao Company.
In addition to requesting the removal of these products from shelves, the Department of Health has also referred the manufacturers to the Kaohsiung County and Yunlin County health bureaus for fines ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$150,000.
The recent testing targeted well-known retailers such as PX Mart, Taipei Agricultural Products, Matsusei Supermarket, and Carrefour. Retailers have stated that they have already removed the non-compliant products from their shelves.
Jiang Yumei explained that food additives like sorbic acid can enhance the texture of products, making them chewier and more elastic, while also inhibiting mold, yeast, and aerobic bacteria. These are commonly used preservatives in food, and like propionic acid, they are considered low-toxicity preservatives. However, they should not be added to food indiscriminately or in excessive amounts. Long-term or excessive consumption of dehydroacetic acid can burden liver and kidney metabolism and even lead to cellular mutations, posing health risks.
The Department of Health also tested commercially available miso, finding that a self-produced miso from "Niansheng Food Factory" in Wanhua District contained 1.53g/kg of sorbic acid, exceeding the food safety standard of 1.0g/kg.
In addition to requiring the removal of the product from shelves, the Department of Health fined the manufacturer between NT$30,000 and NT$150,000 and ordered the destruction of the miso. Yang Liu Mei, the owner of Niansheng Food Factory, stated that they have improved their production process and no longer add these preservatives to their miso.
Consumers with any concerns about food products can contact the Department of Health's Drug and Food Service Hotline at 27208777 or visit the Department of Health's website: http://www. health. gov. tw/ .
Source: http://udn. com/ NEWS/ LIFE/ LIF1/ 4645588. shtml