The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) and Consumer Council (CC) confirmed in a joint statement yesterday that besides seven Chinese New Year (CNY) candies, other CNY food items did not show any abnormalities.
According to the statement, last Tuesday the two entities found an excessive amount of sulphur dioxide in seven kinds of Chinese sweets. However, the statement added that besides the seven kinds of Chinese sweets, they also tested 93 other kinds of CNY food items, and they were all confirmed to be safe.
The statement noted that the samples they tested include Chinese sweets, Western sweets, nuts, Chinese New Year puddings, and fried goods. The statement underlined that the 100 kinds of food products went through multiple forms of testing, and the two entities confirmed that besides the seven problematic sweets, the other 93 kinds of food products were all safe.
The bureau urged shops to find reliable suppliers and ensure the quality before purchasing. The statement noted that, according to the law, in cases where food products that do not satisfy Macau’s official standards, the retailers could be sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and fined up to 600,000 patacas.
The government also reminded residents that after purchasing CNY goods, they should properly store them and be aware of their expiration date. The statement also added that after purchasing Chinese puddings, they should eat them as soon as possible, and when they store the puddings, they should put them in a fridge at under five degrees Celsius. The statement also reminded residents to completely heat up the puddings and not to heat them more than once.
Meanwhile, the statement pointed out that as online ordering gets more popular nowadays, the sellers should remember that no matter through which channels the food is retailed, it is under the surveillance of the Municipal Affair Bureau. The bureau reminded residents that when receiving food deliveries, they should carefully check the packaging and temperature of the goods, adding that if they have suspicions about the food quality, they should not accept the delivery.
For more information about food safety, residents can visit www.foodsafety.gov.mo.
This undated handout photo provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) shows one of its officials inspecting Chinese New Year (CNY) food items.
