Changhua spring roll wrapper makers have used industrial bleach for at least five years, with the products flowing to vendors in Taichung, Changhua and Yunlin.
A round pancake wrapper (runbing pi) made and sold by the Hsu Shu-wang firm in Changhua County tested positive for illegal formaldehyde. The Changhua County Health Bureau seized on site the remaining sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate solution (known as diaobaikuai) and 600 jin (1 jin per pack) of finished round pancake wrappers, and ordered the operator to suspend operations. The entire case has been referred to the Changhua District Prosecutors Office for investigation. The round pancake wrappers were supplied to downstream vendors in Taichung, Changhua and Xiluo in Yunlin, among other places, and the Health Bureau has ordered the operator to take them off the market.
The Health Bureau said the person in charge, Hsu Shu-wang, claimed that 5 years ago he went to Taipei to learn the technique of making round pancake wrappers from an old master. The master instructed him to dissolve sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate (commonly called bleaching cubes) in water and add it to the flour batter, which can increase the chewiness of the round pancake wrapper and has a preservative effect. The operator surnamed Hsu normally sets up a stall in Sanmin Market in Changhua City (opposite No. 19, Lane 358, Sanmin Road) selling round pancake wrappers, and his downstream outlets also include:
Liao Huang-yi's stall (beside No. 143, Yongfu Road, Xitun District, Taichung City), Yifangzhen Food Factory (No. 16, Lane 118, Section 1, Jianping Road, Raoping Village, Tianwei Township, Changhua County), Jinshan Food Firm (No. 133, Section 1, Fanhua Road, Sanbian Village, Fuxing Township, Changhua County), and Ms. Shen in Xiluo, Yunlin. The Health Bureau has ordered the above operators to fully remove and recall the round pancake wrappers and has notified the Yunlin County Health Bureau to trace the downstream operators under its jurisdiction.
The Health Bureau said that sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate is made by combining formalin (formaldehyde) with sodium bisulfite and then reducing it. It is commonly used as an industrial bleaching agent and reducing agent, is an additive not permitted for use, and must not be used in food. Violators will be referred to the District Prosecutors Office for investigation under Article 15 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, and may be sentenced to up to 7 years in prison.
The Taichung Health Bureau also found that the round pancake wrappers made and sold by the "round pancake stall" in front of the parking lot on Fuqian Street in Fengyuan District and by "Yongfeng Noodle Factory" in the Shuinan Market tested positive for the preservatives sorbic acid at 4.87 g/kg and benzoic acid at 3.49 g/kg respectively. Investigation showed their sources were self-made and purchased from "Wang Chen-yi" in this city and then sold to general consumers. This Bureau has ordered a full removal and recall and will impose a fine of 30,000 to 3,000,000 yuan under Article 18 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation.
