DIY simple hydrogen peroxide reagent! The public detected 3 residues

The simple hydrogen peroxide (hydrogen peroxide) reagent provided free of charge to the public by the New Taipei City Government's Health Bureau worked effectively. Five people reported food with positive reactions to the Health Bureau, and three were confirmed to have hydrogen peroxide residues, including two pieces of dried tofu and one piece of sausage. One piece was not detected, and another piece was purchased from Taipei City and has been referred to the Taipei City Health Bureau for investigation.

The New Taipei City Health Bureau provides free simple hydrogen peroxide reagents, and 5 cases were reported by the public, 3 of which were confirmed to contain residual drugs. (Photo courtesy of New Taipei City Health Bureau)

Lin Guanzhen, director of the Food and Drug Administration, said that hydrogen peroxide, commonly known as hydrogen peroxide, cannot be detected according to law because excessive consumption is harmful to health. The New Taipei City Health Bureau prepared 3,000 simple test kits at the end of March and provided them free of charge to the public at health centers in 29 districts, allowing the public to do simple DIY screening at home and calling on everyone to work together to ensure food safety.

There were a total of five food items that were reported to the Health Bureau after the public tested positive for the virus. Three of them did not meet the standards after further inspection by the Health Bureau. They were two items of dried tofu sold at a stall on Quanxing Road in Taishan. Since the source manufacturer was in Taipei City, the case has been referred to the Taipei City Health Bureau for investigation. The other case involved sausage sold by a vendor at Futai Street in Taishan. As the source manufacturer was in Nantou County, the case was referred to the Nantou County Health Bureau for investigation.

Another case turned out to be a false alarm and was resolved safely; another case involved sausages sold by a vendor in Muzha Market in Taipei City and has been transferred to the Taipei City Health Bureau for handling.

Lin Guanzhen from the Health Bureau said that because hydrogen peroxide has bactericidal and bleaching effects, it is often used by unscrupulous merchants in foods such as fish meat products (fish balls, fish cakes, tempura and squid balls) and bean processed products (tofu, dried tofu, dried shredded vegetables, and noodle sausages) to increase the visual beauty of the product and extend the shelf life.

However, excessive consumption can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and irritation to the gastrointestinal tract, so it cannot be detected according to the law. Otherwise, it will be considered a violation of Article 12 of the Food Sanitation Management Act and may be subject to a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$150,000.

The public can call health centers to inquire about free reagents, which are available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday. Simply cut the purchased food with a knife and then drop one or two drops of reagent on the cut surface. If a light yellow or brown color appears after about 5 seconds, it means there may be residual hydrogen peroxide and you can report it to the Health Bureau for further confirmation. The public is also urged to purchase from reputable manufacturers and to be especially vigilant about foods that are abnormally white or deviate too much from traditional colors.