The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is preparing regulations on a possible carcinogen in vegetable oils, glycidyl fatty acid esters, which if passed would make Taiwan the first nation in Asia to regulate the substance.
The deliberations on the regulations began after Control Yuan members Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇) and Tsai Chung-yi (蔡崇義) said in an Aug. 8 investigative report that the FDA’s classification in June of chocolate products failed to include milk chocolate, which commands a 90 percent market share and is often made with palm oil.
FDA Food Safety Section head Liao Chia-ding (廖家鼎) yesterday said that the glycidyl fatty acid esters were only recently discovered and are created primarily during high-head deodorization and deacidification of plant oils.
Palm oil is known to produce relatively more of the esters, Liao said, adding that while there is no immediate harm upon ingestion, there is still a risk of the substance causing cancer after long-term consumption.
The US, Japan and Hong Kong have yet to regulate glycidyl fatty acid esters, while the EU is the only government with regulations regarding them, he said.
After several meetings with firms in the food industry, the FDA plans to reference EU regulations for its draft legislation, setting 1,000 micrograms per kilogram (mcg/kg) as the maximum limit for glycidyl fatty acid esters in food products, Liao said.
Baby formula and complementary foods would have a limit of 500mcg/kg, while formula for children younger than one and complementary foods for older infants would be subject to stricter limits of 50mcg/kg for powdered products and 6mcg/kg for liquids, he said.
The draft legislation would be announced early next year, with the hope that it is promulgated in the first half of the year, he added.
Yen Tsung-hai (顏宗海), a doctor at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital’s Clinical Toxicology Center in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), said data show that there is a chance of forming glycidyl fatty acid esters when processing crude vegetable oils at less than 200°C.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies glycidyl fatty acid esters in Group 2A, meaning there is limited evidence a substance is carcinogenic in humans, but there is sufficient evidence it causes cancer in animals, he said.
However, Yen warned against completely avoiding oils, saying that they are necessary for the human body to absorb lipid-soluble vitamins.
A person’s daily diet should consist of 40 to 60 percent carbohydrates, 20 to 30 percent lipids and 10 to 30 percent protein, he said.
A balanced diet including natural fruits and vegetables greatly helps maintain health, he added.
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