The Department of Health (DOH) is checking if a brand of Chinese-made green bean noodles containing a cancer-inducing chemical has been imported into Taiwan, a DOH official said yesterday.
Chen Shu-kung (
Although a preliminary investigation indicated the brand in question had not been imported into Taiwan, the DOH was checking importers' details to ensure the information was accurate, Chen said.
He said the DOH would make the results public as soon as the investigation was completed.
The DOH made the move in the wake of reports that Longkuo fensi produced by a company in Yantai in the northeastern Chinese province of Shandong has been discovered to contain sodium hydroxymethylsulfinate, a chemical used as a bleaching agent for textiles, soap and molasses.
Lin Chieh-liang (林杰樑), a toxicologist at Linkuo Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, noted that unscrupulous manufacturers often use the substance to bleach rice noodles, green bean noodles or fruit to make their products more attractive.
If consumed by humans, the chemical can cause headaches, vomiting, shortness of breath and relapse of asthma, Lin said, adding that long-term consumption of the chemical can also lead to cancer of the digestive tract.
Lin urged consumers to avoid buying rice noodles and green bean noodles that are excessively white in color.
If consumers are worried that rice noodles or green bean noodles they bought may contain sodium hydroxymethylsulfinate, they can soak the noodles in cool water for one hour before cooking them, Lin said.
While cooking, the pot should be left uncovered to speed up the volatilization of the chemical, he said.
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