The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) urged the public yesterday to cease consuming a pre-packed lily fungus (金針菜) product of the Triangle Brand (三角牌) as it was found to contain an excessive amount of preservatives.
The product is made in mainland China. It has a net weight of 75 grammes and the best-before-date of May 11, 2026, and was found to contain an excessive amount of sulphur dioxide (SO2), the bureau said in a statement yesterday, adding that it has issued a food alert to order retailers to remove the product from their shelves and stop selling the problematic batch, while also dispatching IAM officials to inspect the city’s food market.
The statement noted that the product was found to contain 5,760 parts per million of sulphur dioxide, which exceeds Macau’s standards concerning the use of preservatives and antioxidants in food.
According to the statement, SO2, which acts as a preservative and a bleaching agent and is soluble in water, can be used in flour, noodles and other kinds of food.
The statement underlined that although most of the SO2 can be removed from food by washing and cooking, it may still cause a health risk to asthmatic or hypoallergenic people, who could suffer from headache, vomiting or shortness of breath.
This undated handout photo provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) yesterday shows a Triangle Brand (三角牌) pre-packed lily fungus product found to contain an excessive amount of sulphur dioxide (SO2).
