The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said in a statement yesterday that two prepacked food products sold locally – “Chong Kong Macau Preserved Clausena Lansium” and “Pak Fa Fui Candied Prune” – were found to contain excessive neotame, a non-caloric artificial sweetener, urging the public to stop eating them.
According to the statement, 84.8 mg and 885 mg of neotame per kilogramme were found in the “Chong Kong Macau Preserved Clausena Lansium” product, with a net weight of 150 grammes and the best-before date of August 16, 2023, and in the “Pak Fa Fui Candied Prune” product, with a net weight of 300 grammes and the best-before date of June 28, 2024, respectively, exceeding the legally permitted maximum amount in line with local health standards.
The statement underlined that the bureau has taken immediate follow-up measures to order local shops to stop selling the products, while recalling them from the market.
Neotame, which is a common sweetener that has passed safety evaluation, is widely used in preserved fruit, soft drinks, baked goods and desserts, the statement noted, adding that neotame can replace sucrose in food to reduce calories and enhance flavour.
According to the Codex Alimentarius Commission’s safety assessment, the statement noted, neotame is a low-toxic substance that will not accumulate in the human body. Based on the amount detected in the two locally sold products’ test samples, the statement stressed, it will “generally” not cause adverse health effects when consumed in normal quantities.
According to Wikipedia, Clausena lansium, also known as wampee or wampi, from Cantonese wong pei gwo (黄皮果, yellow-skinned fruit) (Clausena wampi), is a species of strongly scented evergreen trees that grows to a height of up to eight metres, in the family Rutaceae, and that is native to southeast Asia. Its leaves are smooth and dark green. While flowers in late March are white, with four or five petals, about 3–4 mm in diameter. The fruit is oval, about 3 cm long and 2 cm in diameter, and contains two to five seeds that occupy about 40-50 percent of the fruit volume.
These undated handout photos provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) yesterday show two prepacked food products containing excessive sweetener.
