Bamboo fungus 100% failed inspection: New Taipei City tests high-risk Lunar New Year holiday products
In January, the Health Bureau of New Taipei City conducted spot checks on high-risk Lunar New Year products sold at traditional markets, grain and miscellaneous goods stores, and food service businesses in the city, including rice cakes and rice cake-type foods, bamboo fungus, daylily, and aquatic, poultry and livestock products, testing a total of 39 items. Of these, 16 failed to meet standards. The Health Bureau has required the offending businesses to remove the non-compliant products from shelves immediately. Once violations are verified, fines of no less than NT$30,000 and no more than NT$3,000,000 may be imposed under Article 18 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation. For aquatic products found non-compliant, fines of no less than NT$60,000 and no more than NT$15,000,000 may be imposed under Article 15 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation.
The Health Bureau explained that among the 16 non-compliant products, 10 "bamboo fungus" items and 5 "daylily" items contained excessive sulfur dioxide, while 1 "grouper" item was found to contain the banned drug malachite green, leucomalachite green and total malachite green. As soon as the report was issued, all offending businesses were notified to remove the non-compliant products from shelves.
The Health Bureau reminded the public that sulfur dioxide can disrupt the oxidative action of enzymes, making ingredients less prone to browning, and thus helps with preservation, so it is often used as a bleaching agent in food. However, because sulfur dioxide exists in food in the form of sulfites, it is hazardous to human health. Malachite green is often illegally used in farmed aquatic animals to prevent infection by parasites, fungi and protozoa, but studies on laboratory animals have shown that malachite green can poison the liver of laboratory animals, cause anemia and thyroid abnormalities, affect fetal growth, and cause liver tumors in laboratory rats.
The Health Bureau once again reminded the public that for one bamboo fungus, add about one bowl of water, soak in cold water for 1 hour (changing the water every 30 minutes), or soak in 45°C warm water for half an hour, and the sulfur dioxide content is reduced by 97%. If it is then boiled in hot water for 5 minutes, the sulfur dioxide content is reduced by 99%. If rinsed under running water for 1 hour, the sulfur dioxide disappears completely. It also urged the public to carefully choose products with a good reputation and complete packaging, and that manufacturers and sellers should properly retain purchase and sales receipts and implement self-management.