Clipping Board » Illness Enters through Mouth ─ The information that has been made public is often just the tip of the iceberg...
2011-05-31 China Times
By Zhang Cuifen / Taipei Report
Products including Bifi DODO tablets, probiotic capsule Shufumin, Kangfu DDS-16 Jingyuan Probiotics, Baisheng Weimin Power-Lac, and Xinmao Gulaohao were found to exceed standards by hundreds to thousands of times. Experts recommend proactive health screenings for children.
Authorities across Taiwan conducted large-scale inspections of five major food categories in markets and distribution channels today. However, what’s even more alarming is that some children’s lactic acid products contained DEHP levels 2,000 times above the limit, setting a new record among all contaminated products.
The plasticizer crisis continues to escalate, with test results for DEHP-laced products gradually being released. Some products hover near the standard limits, while others exceed them by thousands of times. Experts suggest that children who have consumed extremely high doses should undergo immediate health screenings, as they are the most likely victims—dubbed "plasticized children."
Currently, 215 downstream manufacturers affected by Yu Shen and Bin Han have been identified, with 506 products recalled and sealed. Most companies are still awaiting test results. Among the confirmed high-DEHP products, many are health supplements. Yesterday, the Department of Health released a list of non-compliant products, which shockingly included a children’s product with DEHP levels 2,000 times over the limit.
Bifi DODO tablets, a probiotic and lactic acid chewable tablet for children, were found to contain concentrations as high as 1,675 ppm, with another batch reaching 2,108 ppm. This means a child could ingest 3.16 mg of DEHP per day.
Lin Jieli, director of the Toxicology Department at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, expressed disbelief at such high doses, calling it "outrageous" to feed such products to children. He noted that DEHP has reproductive toxicity, with the maximum allowable daily intake set at 20 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. For a 20 kg child, consuming 0.4 mg daily would exceed the limit.
The Department of Health’s standard for DEHP leaching from plastic food containers is 1.5 ppm. Products involved in the plasticizer scandal must be recalled if they exceed 1 ppm.
Aside from Bifi tablets exceeding the limit by over a thousand times, the probiotic capsule Shufumin, marketed for children’s allergy relief, contained 1,193 ppm. Kangfu Biotechnology’s DDS-16 Jingyuan Probiotics had 600 ppm, Baisheng Biotechnology’s Weimin Power-Lac powdered nutritional supplement had 527 ppm, Xinmao’s Gulaohao had 362 ppm, and Brand’s Growth Calcium Tablets had 286.73 ppm—all hundreds of times above the standard.
Lin Jieli stated that consuming products with trace amounts of DEHP is not cause for panic, as the body can metabolize it quickly. However, children who ingested extremely high doses for two to three months may face harm and should seek medical check-ups. The government should also proactively screen high-risk groups.
He added that while animal studies show DEHP’s carcinogenic potential, acute harm occurs at levels 6,000 times above the limit. There are no human toxicity standards yet, but growing children require special attention.
Source: http:/ / life. chinatimes. com/ 2……1801+112011053100072,00. html
Toxic Children's Food: Bifi DODO Tablets Exceed Phthalate Limit by 2,000 Times
By Zhang Cuifen / Taipei Report
Products including Bifi DODO tablets, probiotic capsule Shufumin, Kangfu DDS-16 Jingyuan Probiotics, Baisheng Weimin Power-Lac, and Xinmao Gulaohao were found to exceed standards by hundreds to thousands of times. Experts recommend proactive health screenings for children.
Authorities across Taiwan conducted large-scale inspections of five major food categories in markets and distribution channels today. However, what’s even more alarming is that some children’s lactic acid products contained DEHP levels 2,000 times above the limit, setting a new record among all contaminated products.
The plasticizer crisis continues to escalate, with test results for DEHP-laced products gradually being released. Some products hover near the standard limits, while others exceed them by thousands of times. Experts suggest that children who have consumed extremely high doses should undergo immediate health screenings, as they are the most likely victims—dubbed "plasticized children."
Currently, 215 downstream manufacturers affected by Yu Shen and Bin Han have been identified, with 506 products recalled and sealed. Most companies are still awaiting test results. Among the confirmed high-DEHP products, many are health supplements. Yesterday, the Department of Health released a list of non-compliant products, which shockingly included a children’s product with DEHP levels 2,000 times over the limit.
Bifi DODO tablets, a probiotic and lactic acid chewable tablet for children, were found to contain concentrations as high as 1,675 ppm, with another batch reaching 2,108 ppm. This means a child could ingest 3.16 mg of DEHP per day.
Lin Jieli, director of the Toxicology Department at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, expressed disbelief at such high doses, calling it "outrageous" to feed such products to children. He noted that DEHP has reproductive toxicity, with the maximum allowable daily intake set at 20 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. For a 20 kg child, consuming 0.4 mg daily would exceed the limit.
The Department of Health’s standard for DEHP leaching from plastic food containers is 1.5 ppm. Products involved in the plasticizer scandal must be recalled if they exceed 1 ppm.
Aside from Bifi tablets exceeding the limit by over a thousand times, the probiotic capsule Shufumin, marketed for children’s allergy relief, contained 1,193 ppm. Kangfu Biotechnology’s DDS-16 Jingyuan Probiotics had 600 ppm, Baisheng Biotechnology’s Weimin Power-Lac powdered nutritional supplement had 527 ppm, Xinmao’s Gulaohao had 362 ppm, and Brand’s Growth Calcium Tablets had 286.73 ppm—all hundreds of times above the standard.
Lin Jieli stated that consuming products with trace amounts of DEHP is not cause for panic, as the body can metabolize it quickly. However, children who ingested extremely high doses for two to three months may face harm and should seek medical check-ups. The government should also proactively screen high-risk groups.
He added that while animal studies show DEHP’s carcinogenic potential, acute harm occurs at levels 6,000 times above the limit. There are no human toxicity standards yet, but growing children require special attention.
Source: http:/ / life. chinatimes. com/ 2……1801+112011053100072,00. html