Poisonous tofu? ! Consumers' Foundation: 20% of preservatives are added excessively

Dried tofu is not only a common offering during worship in the seventh month of the lunar calendar, but is also a daily food for the public. However, a survey report by a consumer protection group pointed out that in order to keep the bright yellow appearance of dried tofu, some unscrupulous businesses illegally added industrial pigments to about 25% of the samples. Another 20% of the dried tofu also added excessive amounts of preservatives. Long-term excessive consumption may damage the liver and affect human health.

Yellow dried tofu is a common food ingredient in China, but an investigation by the Consumer Foundation found that some unscrupulous businesses illegally add industrial pigments and preservatives, which may harm human health if consumed for a long time. (Photography by Huang Zhiwen)

The Consumers Foundation of the Republic of China sampled yellow dried soybeans from traditional markets and evening markets in New Taipei City and New Taipei City to test for colorants, preservatives, fungicides and other items. It found that among the 20 samples, 5 illegally added the industrial pigment soap yellow, 4 contained excessive amounts of the preservative benzoic acid, and 1 illegally had residual hydrogen peroxide, violating the Food Sanitation Management Act and other relevant regulations.

Among the yellow dried soybeans sampled, the businesses that illegally added the industrial pigment soap yellow were the stall in front of No. 61, Jingmei Street, Wenshan District, Taipei City, the stall in front of No. 11-1, Lane 45, Minsheng West Road, Datong District, Taipei City, the stall in front of No. 120, Hulin Street, Xinyi District, Taipei City, stall No. 37 in Beitou Market, and stall No. 7 in Shidong Market (Zhenzhen Hot Pot Restaurant). Among them, samples from the last four companies were also found to contain excessive amounts of the preservative benzoic acid.

In addition, the yellow dried soybeans sold at No. 8-2, Lane 77, Section 2, Roosevelt Road, Da'an District, Taipei City were found to contain the fungicide hydrogen peroxide, which violates regulations that prohibit detection.

The main purpose of adding colorants to food is to beautify the appearance of food and increase appetite, but it does not help the nutritional value or preservation of the food itself. At present, the artificial food colorants that are allowed to be added in appropriate amounts in China include edible red No. 6, No. 7 and No. 40, edible yellow No. 4 and No. 5, edible green No. 3, edible blue No. 1 and No. 2, etc. However, the soap yellow discovered in this inspection is actually an industrial pigment. If consumed frequently, it may cause damage to liver cells and seriously affect your health.

The Consumer Foundation said that even artificial edible colorants that are legal to add may still cause consumers to experience allergic reactions such as itching, edema, palpitations or anaphylactic shock. (Photo provided by Consumer Foundation)

The Consumer Foundation said that even if artificial edible colorants are legal to add, some consumers with more sensitive constitutions may still cause allergic reactions such as itching, edema, palpitations or anaphylactic shock, and long-term accumulation may also pose a risk of cancer. Other studies have shown that mixing colorants such as Yellow No. 5 or Red No. 40 with the preservative benzoic acid may induce hyperactive behavior in children with attention deficit disorder.

As for adding preservatives and fungicides to food, although they can inhibit the growth of microorganisms and thus extend the shelf life, if excessive amounts of preservatives are ingested, it will cause a burden to the human body. In response, the Consumers' Foundation called on businesses to make improvements as soon as possible so that consumers can eat with peace of mind.