The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) urged the public in a statement yesterday to stop eating two brands of pre-packed dried Phallus indusiatus (commonly known as bamboo fungus) produced by “Flying Dragon” and “Imperial Banquet Supreme” as they were found to have excessive cadmium contamination.
One of the problematic products was also found to contain excessive amounts of sulphur dioxide (SO2) used as preservatives, the statement noted.
According to the statement, IAM inspectors discovered two brands of pre-packed bamboo fungus sold in the local market with excessive cadmium contamination, and one of them with excessive amounts of SO2, through their routine food sample testing in two supermarkets.
The statement pointed out that the “Flying Dragon” dried bamboo fungus with best-before-date of May 16, 2024, contains 10,700 mg of SO2 and 0.235 mg of cadmium per kilogramme, while the “Imperial Banquet Supreme” dried bamboo fungus with best-before-date of August 20, 2024, contains 0.270 mg of cadmium per kilogramme.
The statement underlined that the bureau has taken immediate follow-up measures to order local shops to stop selling both products. The statement added that the bureau will continue to follow up on the incident and monitor the availability of the products in the market.
The bureau has informed its counterpart in Hong Kong about the case for follow up.
According to the statement, SO2 acts as a preservative and a bleaching agent, which may pose a health risk to people with allergies, adding that long-term consumption of SO2 may damage the digestive system. However, the statement said, SO2 is soluble in water, which can be mostly removed by washing before cooking.
The statement added that cadmium is a heavy metal pollutant that could cause damage to kidney functions when consumed in excess.
This undated handout photo provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) yesterday shows the “Flying Dragon” dried bamboo fungus containing an excessive amount of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and cadmium.
This undated handout photo provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) yesterday shows the “Imperial Banquet Supreme” dried bamboo fungus containing an excessive amount of SO2.
