Convenience store noodles pose health risk, group warns

A local consumer advocacy group yesterday warned the public that cold noodles may pose a health risk, with the majority of cold noodles sold in convenience stores containing harmful bacteria.

In a investigation report unveiled by the Consumers' Foundation (消基會), nearly 64 percent of cold noodles distributed through convenience stores in the Greater Taipei area failed to meet hygienic standards.

"Cold noodles, among other things, are hot items in Taiwan during the summer," said Shyu Yuan-tay (徐源泰), head of the Consumers' Foundation's food committee. "However, people are not likely to notice that many cold noodles are not well-preserved."

According to Shyu, the foundation collected 22 types of cold noodles from five convenience-store chains in the Greater Taipei area in late May to conduct hygiene checks.

Based on its investigation, the foundation singled out two convenience store chains: Family Mart Co (全家) and OK Mart Co, as the most unsanitary retailers, with nearly three-fourths of the chilled noodles in their outlets failing to meet hygienic standards, followed by Niko Mart Co's (福客多) 67 percent, while President Chain Store Corp (統一超商), which runs 7-Eleven, was at 60 percent and Hi-Life International Co's (萊爾富) 33 percent.

All of the cold noodles contain over-standard Escherichia coli, which can result in such health problems as severe stomach pains and diarrhea, said Shyu, who is also a professor of horticulture at National Taiwan University.

Actually, any chilled foods, such as cold noodles, sushi and sandwiches should be refrigerated at temperatures below 7?C throughout the distribution process, Shyu noted.

But many convenience stores simply failed to follow the guidelines, allowing refrigerated foods to become breeding grounds for bacteria, he said.

Shyu stressed that with increasing numbers of people turning to convenience stores for quick meals, the food sanitation issue is more important than ever.

"Nonetheless, our report's goal is to raise public awareness and hopefully place pressure on retailers to improve food quality control," Shyu stressed.

In accordance with business ethics and the nation's Food Management Law (食品衛生管理法), food providers are obligated to offer safe food to consumers, he said. Any violation of the law is subject to a fine up to NT$30,000.

In response, retailers said they would make improvements to comply with the law.

"We will ask cold-noodle makers, transport companies and store employees to closely monitor the temperature of food containers," said Wang Pao-yu (王寶瑜), a marketing deputy-manager at OK Mart, who oversees nearly 300 stores in Taiwan.

Currently, sales of hot snacks and fresh food account for some 7 percent of the chain's total sale every month, of which cold noodles comprise nearly 20 percent, Wang said.

The foundation also reminded the public that cold noodles sold by street vendors can be even more dangerous.

"Without a centralized production process, the quality control of the food is more difficult to maintain," Shyu said.

He suggested consumers buy chilled noodles from retailers with sanitary environments and preserve the products in refrigerators.