Top food company challenges local government check on zongzi
2015/06/17 23:29:05
Taipei, June 17 (CNA) I-Mei Food Co. (義美), one of Taiwan's biggest and most reputable food companies, on Wednesday demanded local health authorities to re-examine the wrap of its zongzi after it had been found to contain more sulfur dioxide (SO2) than allowed.
I-Mei said it has regularly sampled its zongzi leaves and was sure of its safety.
Taoyuan's Public Health Department sampled 80 ingredients for making zongzi (粽子), a glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo leaves traditionally eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival, including small dried shrimp (xiami), dried mushroom (xianggu) and zongzi leaves and publicized the results earlier on Wednesday.
The Dragon Boat Festival falls on June 20 this year.
As it turned out, 16 of the 17 zongzi sampled are safe; only one that is sold in Carrefour Taiwan contained more E. coli (Escherichia coli) than the allowable level of 1000MPN/g.
And 7 of the 22 zongzi leaves sampled were found to contain more sulfur dioxide than the legal limit of 0.03g/kg, including one from I-Mei and one from Hsin Tung Yang Food Co. (新東陽).
The Public Health Department ordered those food producers to immediately remove the food items from the market.
The sulfur dioxide added in the zongzi leaves is meant to extend its preservation period and it can be decreased through immersion and wash in warm water. People could vomit or have allergy after consuming too much sulfur dioxide.
Hsin Tung Yang said its zongzi have all passed safety tests. As for the zongzi leaves that health officials examined had not been processed. After processing, the zongzi wraps are safe, it said.
(By Bien Chin-feng, Tien Yu-pin and Kuo Chung-han)
