The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) announced in a statement yesterday that dried geoducks sold locally were found to contain excessive sulphur dioxide (SO2), urging the public to stop eating the product.
A geoduck is a large saltwater clam.
The statement noted that IAM staff discovered the dried geoducks with excessive sulphur dioxide through their routine food sample testing. The statement added that the bureau has ordered shops to stop selling the products.
According to the statement, the sample of the dried geoducks were taken from Long Cheong Hong, a dried seafood store in Rua de Berlim. The statement pointed out that the dried geoducks contained 0.27 grammes of sulphur dioxide per kilogramme, which exceeds the standards for “the use of preservatives and antioxidants in food” regulation.
The statement pointed out that the problematic products were also sold at Long Cheong Hong’s main shop in Avenida do Governador Jaime Silvério Marques. The statement underlined that both stores run by the company had voluntarily destroyed all the remaining dried geoducks containing sulphur dioxide. However, the bureau said that it will continue to follow up on the case and pay close attention to see if the problematic products are circulating in the market.
Sulphur dioxide bleaches and disinfects so it is often widely added to food, such as dried aquatic products, dried fruit and vegetables, as well as compotes. However, the statement added that this type of preservative is hypotoxic (aka low toxicity), which can be soluble in water.
The statement underlined that although most of the sulphur dioxide can be removed from food by washing and cooking, the sulphur dioxide may still cause a health risk, causing symptoms such as headaches, and nausea or vomiting, in individuals with asthma or allergies.
The bureau urged consumers who bought the related products from the two dried seafood shops to stop eating it. The bureau also urged shoppers to buy dried aquatic food from reputable and reliable health stores, adding that they should pay close attention to the validity of the products, and buy food with a natural colour.
This undated handout photo provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) yesterday shows a container of dried geoducks containing excessive sulphur dioxide (SO2).
