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NOWnews January 13, 2014 Reporter Chen Kunkai / Taipei Report
Be cautious of health risks when purchasing New Year goods! The Taipei City Government Department of Health today (13th) announced the second round of test results for holiday foods. Among 150 sampled products, 5 were found to be non-compliant, including dried shrimp and garlic-flavored broad beans containing excessive bleaching agent sulfur dioxide, as well as spiced dried tofu and grilled squid strips with excessive preservative sorbic acid. Additionally, one sample of white fungus was found to contain the pesticide acetamiprid at levels seven times the standard limit. Non-compliant products have been fully removed from shelves.
The second round of holiday food inspections by the Taipei City Department of Health tested a total of 150 items, with 5 failing to meet standards—a non-compliance rate of 3.3%. Additionally, among 45 fully packaged products checked for labeling, 2 were found to have non-compliant labeling—a non-compliance rate of 4.4%.
Among the non-compliant products, "dried shrimp" sold by Yongliang Store in Beitou District was found to contain sulfur dioxide at 0.0439g/kg, exceeding the standard limit of 0.03g/kg. The supplier was Yongmao Development Co., Ltd. in New Taipei City. "Garlic-flavored broad beans" sold by Puli Mountain Products Store in Wanhua District, sourced from Dongxing Tian Dou Co., Ltd. in New Taipei City, also contained sulfur dioxide at 0.0694g/kg.
"Grilled squid strips" sold by Yuzhan Preserved Fruits Store in Zhongshan District contained the preservative sorbic acid at 1.94g/kg, exceeding the standard limit of 1g/kg. The supplier was Shenghe Frozen Foods Co., Ltd. in Taipei City. "Spiced dried tofu" sold by Chiandai Xiang Foods Co., Ltd. in Songshan District, sourced from Shengyou Foods Co., Ltd. in Taichung City, contained sorbic acid at 2.78g/kg.
"White fungus" sold by Chishang Jiansheng Rice Mill Direct Store in Wenshan District, sourced from No. 6, Lane 4, Zhongxing Road, Zhongxing Village, Daliao District, Kaohsiung City, was found to contain the pesticide acetamiprid at 0.07ppm—seven times the standard limit of 0.01ppm.
Qiu Xiuyi, Director of the Food and Drug Administration at the Taipei City Department of Health, stated that excessive intake of sulfur dioxide may cause symptoms such as difficulty breathing, diarrhea, and vomiting. While sorbic acid is a commonly used preservative in food and is metabolized into carbon dioxide and water by the human body, making it a low-toxicity preservative, it should not be arbitrarily added or overused in food. As for acetamiprid, it has low acute and chronic toxicity to mammals and is classified as a non-carcinogen, but its use is only approved for specific types of crops.
The Taipei City Department of Health stated that non-compliant products have been fully removed from shelves. Violations of the "Standards for the Use, Scope, and Limits of Food Additives" under the Food Sanitation Management Act may result in fines ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$3 million for manufacturers or responsible suppliers. If the source cannot be identified, retailers may also be fined between NT$30,000 and NT$3 million.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ % E9……D% 9A% E7% B5% B2- 023936355. html
Food Safety Alert: Taipei Finds Bleached Beans and Preserved Squid in New Year Goods
Be cautious of health risks when purchasing New Year goods! The Taipei City Government Department of Health today (13th) announced the second round of test results for holiday foods. Among 150 sampled products, 5 were found to be non-compliant, including dried shrimp and garlic-flavored broad beans containing excessive bleaching agent sulfur dioxide, as well as spiced dried tofu and grilled squid strips with excessive preservative sorbic acid. Additionally, one sample of white fungus was found to contain the pesticide acetamiprid at levels seven times the standard limit. Non-compliant products have been fully removed from shelves.
The second round of holiday food inspections by the Taipei City Department of Health tested a total of 150 items, with 5 failing to meet standards—a non-compliance rate of 3.3%. Additionally, among 45 fully packaged products checked for labeling, 2 were found to have non-compliant labeling—a non-compliance rate of 4.4%.
Among the non-compliant products, "dried shrimp" sold by Yongliang Store in Beitou District was found to contain sulfur dioxide at 0.0439g/kg, exceeding the standard limit of 0.03g/kg. The supplier was Yongmao Development Co., Ltd. in New Taipei City. "Garlic-flavored broad beans" sold by Puli Mountain Products Store in Wanhua District, sourced from Dongxing Tian Dou Co., Ltd. in New Taipei City, also contained sulfur dioxide at 0.0694g/kg.
"Grilled squid strips" sold by Yuzhan Preserved Fruits Store in Zhongshan District contained the preservative sorbic acid at 1.94g/kg, exceeding the standard limit of 1g/kg. The supplier was Shenghe Frozen Foods Co., Ltd. in Taipei City. "Spiced dried tofu" sold by Chiandai Xiang Foods Co., Ltd. in Songshan District, sourced from Shengyou Foods Co., Ltd. in Taichung City, contained sorbic acid at 2.78g/kg.
"White fungus" sold by Chishang Jiansheng Rice Mill Direct Store in Wenshan District, sourced from No. 6, Lane 4, Zhongxing Road, Zhongxing Village, Daliao District, Kaohsiung City, was found to contain the pesticide acetamiprid at 0.07ppm—seven times the standard limit of 0.01ppm.
Qiu Xiuyi, Director of the Food and Drug Administration at the Taipei City Department of Health, stated that excessive intake of sulfur dioxide may cause symptoms such as difficulty breathing, diarrhea, and vomiting. While sorbic acid is a commonly used preservative in food and is metabolized into carbon dioxide and water by the human body, making it a low-toxicity preservative, it should not be arbitrarily added or overused in food. As for acetamiprid, it has low acute and chronic toxicity to mammals and is classified as a non-carcinogen, but its use is only approved for specific types of crops.
The Taipei City Department of Health stated that non-compliant products have been fully removed from shelves. Violations of the "Standards for the Use, Scope, and Limits of Food Additives" under the Food Sanitation Management Act may result in fines ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$3 million for manufacturers or responsible suppliers. If the source cannot be identified, retailers may also be fined between NT$30,000 and NT$3 million.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ % E9……D% 9A% E7% B5% B2- 023936355. html