The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said in a statement yesterday that the Hong Kong Food Safety Association has announced that a Hong Kong-made shrimp roe noodle product contains excessive amounts of sulphur dioxide, which is used as a preservative.
The bureau urged residents not to consume Gourmet Alley’s shrimp roe noodles, which is labelled to be 454 grammes and best before June 11, 2023. The statement said that the preservatives contained in the noodles also exceeded Macau’s standard.
According to the statement, sulphur dioxide can be used as bleach or preservative, adding that it is commonly used in flour, noodles and other food items. The statement said that if residents consume the product “normally”, residents’ health would not be affected. However, the statement noted that asthmatic or hypoallergenic people could be sensitive to sulphur dioxide, adding that it could trigger shortage of breath, headache, vomiting or other symptoms.
The statement said that the bureau is following up on the situation and warning local food outlets about the issue. The statement also said that IAM officials checked various shops and restaurants to ensure that they had stopped selling the problematic items. The statement underlined that the IAM Department of Food Safety will continue to monitor the recalling progress.
Meanwhile, the bureau also urged residents who have already purchased the shrimp roe noodles not to eat them, stressing that if retailers still have the noodles, they should remove them from the shelves immediately.
Undated publicity picture of a pack of Gourmet Alley “Hong Kong Noodles Shrimp Egg Flavour” for sale online yesterday. Photo courtesy of TS Emporium
