Taipei City spot-tests aquatic products: white shrimp found with excessive sulfur dioxide residue, crabs found with illegal use

The Taipei City Department of Health sampled 55 seafood products from markets, restaurants, seafood shops, supermarkets and retail venues. Among them, the "frozen raw white shrimp" sold by Xiangbin Hospitality Enterprise (trade name: Eatogether) at the Taipei City Mall store, and the "crab" sold at the Eslite store in Tai Market, both tested positive for excessive sulfur dioxide residue. The standard for crustaceans is that none may be detected, and the non-compliance rate was 3.6%.

The Taipei City Department of Health conducted sampling inspections of seafood sold in markets, restaurants, seafood shops, supermarkets and retail venues during the first half of this year (ROC year 104), sampling a total of 55 seafood products, including 4 crustaceans, 9 shellfish, 13 shrimp and 29 fish.

Among them, the "frozen raw white shrimp" sold by Xiangbin Hospitality Enterprise (trade name: Eatogether) tested positive for sulfur dioxide residue at 0.14g/kg (standard 0.1g/kg). In addition, the "crab" sold at the Eslite store in Tai Market also tested positive for sulfur dioxide residue at 0.18g/kg (standard: none may be detected).

According to the Department of Health's investigation, the frozen raw white shrimp came from New Taipei City Ocean Trading Company, and the case has been referred to the New Taipei City Department of Health for handling; the crab came from Taipei City Manshun Industrial Company. When Department of Health personnel inspected the operator, the operator could not clearly explain the source, so a fine of 30,000 to 3,000,000 yuan will be imposed in accordance with Article 47 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation.

Sulfur dioxide is a common, legal food additive that can keep food colors bright and prevent food from spoiling. It is often used in preserved fruits, dried fruits, dry goods, shrimp, shellfish, etc.; however, excessive intake of sulfur dioxide and other sulfites by the human body can cause symptoms such as difficulty breathing, diarrhea and vomiting. For asthma patients, consuming too many sulfite-containing foods may, in severe cases, cause difficulty breathing and asthma attacks.

The Taipei City Department of Health requires seafood feed operators to strictly comply with food additive regulations and control environmental pollution sources; sellers should also obtain self-inspection reports from upstream suppliers, and the public should take care to avoid buying products of unknown origin and should buy from reputable operators when making purchases. When purchasing, one can first smell whether the product has a sour or medicinal odor, and during cooking, the pot lid can also be opened to let some substances evaporate.