The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) urged the public yesterday to stop eating the pre-packed “Taiwan Salted Plum” product supplied by Fruit Wonderland as it was found to contain excessive amounts of neotame, which is a kind of sweetening agent.
According to an IAM statement, the problematic product, which was packed on September 24 this year, with a best-before-date of March 23 next year, contains 110 mg of neotame per kilogramme, exceeding the local standard for the use of sweeteners in food.
The statement underlined that the bureau has taken immediate follow-up measures to order local shops to stop selling the product. The statement added that the bureau will continue to follow up on the case and monitor the availability of the product in the market.
The statement pointed out that Fruit Wonderland’s downstream clients are mainly supermarkets.
The statement noted that neotame is a common synthetic sweetener that is widely used as a food additive in cold fruits, soda, baked goods and desserts. Neotame can replace sucrose in food to reduce calories and enhance flavour, the statement added.
The statement underlined that according to the safety assessment of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), the acceptable daily intake of neotame is 0 to 2 mg per kilogramme of body weight so based on the amount of neotame detected in the product, it will not cause adverse health effects under normal consumption.
This undated handout photo provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) yesterday shows the pre-packaged “Taiwan Salted Plum” containing excessive amounts of neotame.
