More plasticizers found in China's soy sauce, noodles
After a number of Chinese liquor products were recently found to contain levels of plasticizing chemicals considered potentially harmful to human health, a number of scientists say they have found amounts of the chemicals in soy sauce packs and instant noodles that may hundreds of times greater than the national safety standard.
Their claims come after several premium brands of liquor such as Jiugui, Kweichow Moutai, Wuliangye and Yanghe were found to contain plasticizers. The operations of Hunan's Jiugui Liquor has been suspended since Nov. 27 after its products were found containing excess amounts of plasticizing chemicals. Kweichow Moutai was forced to publish reports in December to clear its name after an internet user claimed that a sample of the liquor contained more than double the maximum permissible residue level of plasticizer. Samples from other distillers Wuliangye and Yanghe tested positive for DEHP and DBGP, commonly used plasticizers that may harm male reproductive function, as well as the immune and digestive systems if ingested in sufficient quantities.
A post saying that "the amounts of plasticizers in soy sauce, vinegar and plasticizers in beverages were 400 times more than that of the liquor" has been reposted more than ten thousand times on Sina Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter, according to the Chinese-language Beijing News
Liu Chunhua, an assistant professor of South China Agricultural University in Guangzhou, has found through experiments that packets and tubs of instant noodles were contaminated with plasticizers. The amounts of DBP and DEHP in soy sauce packs were stunningly high, 197 and 114 times higher than the maximum level permitted.
Scientists at Agricultural University of Nanjing said the levels of the chemicals in foods or liquids made with edible fat, and in vegetables and fruit were excessive as well, according to the newspaper.
The maximum permitted concentration of DEHP residue permissible in foods is 1.5mg/kg but is much higher in flavorings, at 60mg/kg. It was the media and individual members of the public rather than government agencies that have uncovered the scandal, the Beijing News noted.
Source: http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20121225000085&cid=1103
After a number of Chinese liquor products were recently found to contain levels of plasticizing chemicals considered potentially harmful to human health, a number of scientists say they have found amounts of the chemicals in soy sauce packs and instant noodles that may hundreds of times greater than the national safety standard.
Their claims come after several premium brands of liquor such as Jiugui, Kweichow Moutai, Wuliangye and Yanghe were found to contain plasticizers. The operations of Hunan's Jiugui Liquor has been suspended since Nov. 27 after its products were found containing excess amounts of plasticizing chemicals. Kweichow Moutai was forced to publish reports in December to clear its name after an internet user claimed that a sample of the liquor contained more than double the maximum permissible residue level of plasticizer. Samples from other distillers Wuliangye and Yanghe tested positive for DEHP and DBGP, commonly used plasticizers that may harm male reproductive function, as well as the immune and digestive systems if ingested in sufficient quantities.
A post saying that "the amounts of plasticizers in soy sauce, vinegar and plasticizers in beverages were 400 times more than that of the liquor" has been reposted more than ten thousand times on Sina Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter, according to the Chinese-language Beijing News
Liu Chunhua, an assistant professor of South China Agricultural University in Guangzhou, has found through experiments that packets and tubs of instant noodles were contaminated with plasticizers. The amounts of DBP and DEHP in soy sauce packs were stunningly high, 197 and 114 times higher than the maximum level permitted.
Scientists at Agricultural University of Nanjing said the levels of the chemicals in foods or liquids made with edible fat, and in vegetables and fruit were excessive as well, according to the newspaper.
The maximum permitted concentration of DEHP residue permissible in foods is 1.5mg/kg but is much higher in flavorings, at 60mg/kg. It was the media and individual members of the public rather than government agencies that have uncovered the scandal, the Beijing News noted.
Source: http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20121225000085&cid=1103