The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) urged the public yesterday to stop eating a Hong Kong-made shrimp roe noodle product which contains excessive amounts of sulphur dioxide (SO2), which is used as a preservative.
A statement by the bureau yesterday noted that the problematic product is a pre-packaged Gourmet Alley’s “Hongkong Shrimp Flavor Noodle” product, with a net weight of 454 grammes and best before June 23, 2024. The statement said that 82 parts-per million (PPM) of preservatives were found in the noodles’ test sample, which also exceed Macau’s standard.
According to the statement, in order to protect consumers’ food safety, the bureau immediately alerted the food sector to stop selling the problematic product, while recalling it from the market. The statement added that people who bought the product should immediately stop eating it.
The bureau said that it will continue to follow up on the incident and monitor the circulation of the product in the local market.
The statement pointed out that sulphur dioxide acts as a preservative and a bleaching agent, which can be used in food products, such as flour and noodles. The statement added that according to test results of the noodle samples, the amount of the preservative is generally not harmful to people’s health under “normal consumption” conditions.
However, the statement said that asthmatic or hypoallergenic people could be sensitive to sulphur dioxide, adding that it could cause shortage of breath, headache, vomiting or other symptoms.
This undated handout photo provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) yesterday shows a pack of Gourmet Alley “Hongkong Shrimp Flavor Noodle” containing excessive preservatives.
