The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) announced in a statement yesterday that three types of commercially available prepacked food products were found to contain excessive food additives.
Among the three types of problematic products, two – Triangle Brand Lily Fungus (三角牌金針菜), Preserved Sweet Plum (特級甘草梅) manufactured by 出前一派 – were found to contain excessive amounts of the preservative sulphur dioxide, while the other problematic product – Mag Mag Elixir Plum (還魂梅) – was found to contain an excessive amount of the sweetener Neotame.
According to the bureau, the three prepacked food products were collected from three supermarkets in Macau, with the Triangle Brand Lily Fungus and the Preserved Sweet Plum being imported to Macau from the mainland, while the Mag Mag Elixir Plum originating from Thailand was imported to Macau via Hong Kong.
The bureau has ordered the shops concerned to stop selling and recall the problematic products, and urged the public to stop consuming the problematic batch of products immediately. It also issued a food alert and notified the relevant food safety authorities in the respective places of origin.
The sulphur dioxide found in the samples is widely used in dried aquatic products, dried fruit and vegetables and candied fruit and vegetables for its bleaching and preservative properties, the statement noted.
Sulphur dioxide is low in toxicity, soluble in water, and washing and cooking can remove most of the sulphur dioxide from food. However, sulphur dioxide may pose health risks to individuals with asthma or allergies, such as inducing asthma, headache, nausea or vomiting, the statement said.
According to the statement, Neotame is a common synthetic sweetener and is widely used as a food additive in dried fruit, soft drinks, bakery products and various desserts.
According to the safety assessment of the International Codex Alimentarius Commission, the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of Neotame is zero to two milligrammes per kilogramme of body weight.
The amount detected in the sample of Mag Mag Elixir Plum is not likely to cause adverse health effects under normal consumption conditions, the statement noted.
Consumers are reminded to maintain a balanced diet and not to consume too much of a particular food type in order to protect their health, the statement said.
These photos provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) show the problematic food products.
