Clipping Board » Illness Enters through Mouth ─ The information that has been made public is often just the tip of the iceberg...
Clipper
Topic & Content
No One Spared! Taipei Tests Find 35% of Bean Products Contain Preservatives
pine Webmaster of Pineapple
2013/08/05 14:17
508 topics published
NOWnews – August 5, 2013
Reporter Chen Kunkai / Taipei Report

The Taipei City Health Bureau today (5th) announced the latest round of food inspection results, revealing that over one-third of commercially available soy products contain preservatives! The affected items range from dried tofu shreds, firm tofu, spiced dried tofu, large dried tofu, to vegetarian chicken, with none spared. Additionally, one black-bone chicken sample was found to contain excessive levels of the antibacterial agent trimethoprim, which may harm the kidneys if consumed in large quantities.

The Taipei City Health Bureau conducted targeted inspections of fresh aquatic products, meat, and soy products at locations including traditional markets, market stalls, supermarkets, retail stores, and restaurants. The results showed serious violations in soy products.

Out of 37 soy product samples tested, 13 failed to meet standards—a 35.1% non-compliance rate. Among them, six were dried tofu shreds, one vegetarian chicken, two dried tofu, and four tofu products, all containing residues or excessive levels of hydrogen peroxide or benzoic acid.

Chiu Hsiu-yi, Director of the Food and Drug Administration under the Taipei City Government Health Bureau, stated that tracing the sources of the non-compliant products revealed 10 from other counties, two from Taipei, and one unable to provide complete sourcing documentation. If violations are confirmed, manufacturers will face fines ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$3 million under the Food Sanitation Management Act. Sellers failing to provide product sources may also be fined NT$30,000 to NT$3 million.

Benzoic acid, commonly known as a preservative, evaporates easily with steam. After ingestion, it is excreted in urine within 9 to 15 hours. Excessive intake can irritate the gastrointestinal tract, causing stomach pain, and may affect the liver and kidneys. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), often used as a food sterilizer for bleaching and preservation, can lead to headaches and vomiting if consumed in large amounts.

The Health Bureau advises consumers to soak products in water for 40 minutes before cooking to dissolve and remove preservatives and hydrogen peroxide, then discard the soaking water and rinse thoroughly. Alternatively, cooking without a lid allows these substances to evaporate with steam.

Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ % E7……5% 90% E5% 8A% 91- 085835986. html;_ylt=ArxGUMBNZwl7iJeMMeC4ijmUBdF_;_ylu=X3oDMTRxcDRpbGVzBGNjb2RlA3ZzaGFyZWFnMnVwcmVzdARtaXQDTmV3cyBmb3IgeW91IG1peGVkIGxpc3QEcGtnA2E0YWY3ZDQ5LTlhZWEtM2YwOC05NDQzLWJiNTM3ZTU0NjkyNARwb3MDMQRzZWMDbmV3c19mb3JfeW91BHZlcgM3Y2JjMjIxMS1mZGFkLTExZTItOWZlZi0yZWM2NjFhYThlNzA-;_ylg=X3oDMTBmZTN1cm1wBGxhbmcDemgtSGFudC1UVw--;_ylv=3
expand_less