Clipping Board » Illness Enters through Mouth ─ The information that has been made public is often just the tip of the iceberg...
Written by / Li Jianxing, Xu Qiongwen, Lin Lijuan
Source / Business Today, Issue 873, September 12, 2013
Did you know? Sweeteners and harmful flavors are harming our next generation! The number of children with allergies in Taiwan has surged 20-fold, asthma cases among children have increased 15-fold, and 1 in every 12 kids has ADHD. Ubiquitous sweet traps are invading our lives.
To uncover the severity of the issue, Business Today investigated Taiwan’s sweet crisis from the perspectives of food products and regulatory oversight. First, we tested commercially sold honey, widely regarded as natural and healthy. On August 13, reporters purchased three 3,000-gram jars labeled as "blended honey" from Jian Guo Market in Taichung—two from Yunlin’s Tuku and one from Taichung—and sent them to SGS for testing to reveal the truth.
**Blended honey contains no honey—even "real" honey isn’t pure!**
The results, released on August 30, were shocking! Despite boldly labeled as "honey," SGS tests using isotope values and protein content revealed these products contained not a single drop of actual honey. To ensure accuracy, we consulted Wu Jiacheng, a chemistry professor at National Taiwan Normal University, and Chen Yuwen, head of the Department of Biotechnology and Animal Science at National Ilan University, who confirmed these were essentially fake. Consumers are drinking nothing but sugary syrup. Alarmingly, all three samples failed testing—a 100% failure rate—proving the market is flooded with counterfeit honey made from artificial flavors and sweeteners.
Based on isotope data, Wu Jiacheng suspects the fake honey is likely corn syrup. Jiang Shoushan, a nephrologist at Shin Kong Hospital, notes that corn fructose, derived from genetically modified corn, is cheap and has replaced expensive sucrose in bread, pastries, and sugary drinks. Medical reports indicate it acts as a chronic toxin, potentially linked to fatty liver, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and gout.
If blended honey lacks honey, is commercially sold "pure" honey any better? Business Today selected two premium-priced jars labeled "100% natural honey" from stores for SGS testing—only to be disappointed again. One contained 60% artificial inverted sugar yet brazenly claimed to be natural. This deception not only misleads but also harms consumer health.
**Business Today’s List of Problematic Honey Samples:**
- Huang Ji Honey (no honey content): Taiwan Huang Ji Enterprise (No. 56, Jiancheng Rd., Tuku Township, Yunlin County)
- Blended Longan Honey (no honey content): Shan Shui Honey (No. 23, Xinjian Rd., Tuku Township, Yunlin County)
- Longan Honey (no honey content): Xin Lian Mei Industrial (No. 40-1, Dongying 13th St., Taichung City)
- Taiwan Honey (labeled "100% pure honey," 60% fructose): Lover’s Honey (No. 102, Jianguo Rd., Tuku Township, Yunlin County)
**The Deadly Allure of Sweetness: Ubiquitous Traps Invading Everywhere!**
Artificial sweeteners in milk powder and yogurt weaken immunity and cause osteoporosis. Artificial flavors in toothpaste and air fresheners trigger nausea, dizziness, and even cancer. The real crisis lies in how these additives harm the next generation. Clinical data shows 1 in 3 Taiwanese now suffers from allergies, with incidence rates soaring 20-fold from 1990 to 2010. Asthma rates among Taipei elementary students exploded from 1.3% in the 1970s to 19% post-2000—a 30-fold increase.As for the ADHD rate in Taiwan, it is as high as 7-8%, meaning one out of every twelve Taiwanese children has ADHD. Ubiquitous sweet traps are invading our lives.
Beware! Pervasive additives and artificial sweeteners are harming your body...
The health of Taiwanese people has been severely compromised by sweetness!
20 times more children with allergies: On average, one out of every three children in Taiwan has allergies, and the incidence rate surged 20 times between 1990 and 2010.
15 times more children with asthma: The asthma rate among elementary school children in Taipei was only 1.3% in the 1970s, rising to 12.7% in the 1990s, and exceeding 19% after 2000—15 times higher than 30 years ago.
1 in 12 children has ADHD: The ADHD rate in Taiwan is estimated at 7-8%, meaning one in every twelve children has ADHD.
Five Quick Ways to Identify Real Honey:
1. **Thickness and Clarity**: Place your fingers behind the bottle. If you can’t see them clearly, it’s likely natural honey. If your fingers are clearly visible, it’s probably fake. Alternatively, scoop honey with a spoon and let it drip—the thicker the honey and the longer the strands, the higher the likelihood it’s real. If the strands break easily, it may be diluted or fake.
2. **Crystallization**: Natural honey stored in the fridge will develop fine, milky-white crystals over time, while fake honey won’t crystallize.
3. **Water Shake Test**: Mix honey with water in a certain ratio, cover, and shake vigorously. If it produces abundant, slow-dissolving foam, it likely contains high protein levels, indicating real honey. If the foam is sparse and disappears quickly, it’s probably fake.
4. **Domestic Certification Labels**: Opt for bottled honey with domestic certification and avoid buying from unverified sources. Check the manufacturer’s label and production date.
5. **Microscope Test**: If you have a microscope, examine the honey under 400x magnification. Real honey should show pollen grains; if none are visible, it’s fake.
Editor’s Note: This article is excerpted from the cover story "The Deadly Sweet Temptation" in *CommonWealth Magazine* Issue 873, published on September 11. The issue also includes related reports such as "Six Methods, Five Tricks to Choose Healthier Sweets" and "Rejecting Artificial Fragrances: Starting with Food, Cleaning, Smelling, and Skincare." For more details, refer to Issue 873 of *CommonWealth Magazine*.
Source: http://www. businesstoday. com. tw/ article- content- 92745- 102191
Shocking: the Honey You Bought Contains No Honey
Source / Business Today, Issue 873, September 12, 2013
Did you know? Sweeteners and harmful flavors are harming our next generation! The number of children with allergies in Taiwan has surged 20-fold, asthma cases among children have increased 15-fold, and 1 in every 12 kids has ADHD. Ubiquitous sweet traps are invading our lives.
To uncover the severity of the issue, Business Today investigated Taiwan’s sweet crisis from the perspectives of food products and regulatory oversight. First, we tested commercially sold honey, widely regarded as natural and healthy. On August 13, reporters purchased three 3,000-gram jars labeled as "blended honey" from Jian Guo Market in Taichung—two from Yunlin’s Tuku and one from Taichung—and sent them to SGS for testing to reveal the truth.
**Blended honey contains no honey—even "real" honey isn’t pure!**
The results, released on August 30, were shocking! Despite boldly labeled as "honey," SGS tests using isotope values and protein content revealed these products contained not a single drop of actual honey. To ensure accuracy, we consulted Wu Jiacheng, a chemistry professor at National Taiwan Normal University, and Chen Yuwen, head of the Department of Biotechnology and Animal Science at National Ilan University, who confirmed these were essentially fake. Consumers are drinking nothing but sugary syrup. Alarmingly, all three samples failed testing—a 100% failure rate—proving the market is flooded with counterfeit honey made from artificial flavors and sweeteners.
Based on isotope data, Wu Jiacheng suspects the fake honey is likely corn syrup. Jiang Shoushan, a nephrologist at Shin Kong Hospital, notes that corn fructose, derived from genetically modified corn, is cheap and has replaced expensive sucrose in bread, pastries, and sugary drinks. Medical reports indicate it acts as a chronic toxin, potentially linked to fatty liver, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and gout.
If blended honey lacks honey, is commercially sold "pure" honey any better? Business Today selected two premium-priced jars labeled "100% natural honey" from stores for SGS testing—only to be disappointed again. One contained 60% artificial inverted sugar yet brazenly claimed to be natural. This deception not only misleads but also harms consumer health.
**Business Today’s List of Problematic Honey Samples:**
- Huang Ji Honey (no honey content): Taiwan Huang Ji Enterprise (No. 56, Jiancheng Rd., Tuku Township, Yunlin County)
- Blended Longan Honey (no honey content): Shan Shui Honey (No. 23, Xinjian Rd., Tuku Township, Yunlin County)
- Longan Honey (no honey content): Xin Lian Mei Industrial (No. 40-1, Dongying 13th St., Taichung City)
- Taiwan Honey (labeled "100% pure honey," 60% fructose): Lover’s Honey (No. 102, Jianguo Rd., Tuku Township, Yunlin County)
**The Deadly Allure of Sweetness: Ubiquitous Traps Invading Everywhere!**
Artificial sweeteners in milk powder and yogurt weaken immunity and cause osteoporosis. Artificial flavors in toothpaste and air fresheners trigger nausea, dizziness, and even cancer. The real crisis lies in how these additives harm the next generation. Clinical data shows 1 in 3 Taiwanese now suffers from allergies, with incidence rates soaring 20-fold from 1990 to 2010. Asthma rates among Taipei elementary students exploded from 1.3% in the 1970s to 19% post-2000—a 30-fold increase.As for the ADHD rate in Taiwan, it is as high as 7-8%, meaning one out of every twelve Taiwanese children has ADHD. Ubiquitous sweet traps are invading our lives.
Beware! Pervasive additives and artificial sweeteners are harming your body...
The health of Taiwanese people has been severely compromised by sweetness!
20 times more children with allergies: On average, one out of every three children in Taiwan has allergies, and the incidence rate surged 20 times between 1990 and 2010.
15 times more children with asthma: The asthma rate among elementary school children in Taipei was only 1.3% in the 1970s, rising to 12.7% in the 1990s, and exceeding 19% after 2000—15 times higher than 30 years ago.
1 in 12 children has ADHD: The ADHD rate in Taiwan is estimated at 7-8%, meaning one in every twelve children has ADHD.
Five Quick Ways to Identify Real Honey:
1. **Thickness and Clarity**: Place your fingers behind the bottle. If you can’t see them clearly, it’s likely natural honey. If your fingers are clearly visible, it’s probably fake. Alternatively, scoop honey with a spoon and let it drip—the thicker the honey and the longer the strands, the higher the likelihood it’s real. If the strands break easily, it may be diluted or fake.
2. **Crystallization**: Natural honey stored in the fridge will develop fine, milky-white crystals over time, while fake honey won’t crystallize.
3. **Water Shake Test**: Mix honey with water in a certain ratio, cover, and shake vigorously. If it produces abundant, slow-dissolving foam, it likely contains high protein levels, indicating real honey. If the foam is sparse and disappears quickly, it’s probably fake.
4. **Domestic Certification Labels**: Opt for bottled honey with domestic certification and avoid buying from unverified sources. Check the manufacturer’s label and production date.
5. **Microscope Test**: If you have a microscope, examine the honey under 400x magnification. Real honey should show pollen grains; if none are visible, it’s fake.
Editor’s Note: This article is excerpted from the cover story "The Deadly Sweet Temptation" in *CommonWealth Magazine* Issue 873, published on September 11. The issue also includes related reports such as "Six Methods, Five Tricks to Choose Healthier Sweets" and "Rejecting Artificial Fragrances: Starting with Food, Cleaning, Smelling, and Skincare." For more details, refer to Issue 873 of *CommonWealth Magazine*.
Source: http://www. businesstoday. com. tw/ article- content- 92745- 102191