Chemical experts yesterday urged the public not to use plastic wrap made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), because oily or hot foods wrapped in that material could absorb potentially harmful plasticizer chemicals.
Academics and experts told a panel discussion on food safety that merely avoiding food and beverages recently identified as containing harmful plasticizers did not mean people were completely safe from the chemicals.
The food scare of the past three weeks brought to public attention food and other products, including supplements, sports drinks and beverages, that contain chemicals such as di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, or DEHP, and diisononyl phthalate, or DINP.
Lab tests have confirmed that DEHP and DINP have been used as a substitute for more expensive ingredients in a common food -additive called a clouding agent.
PVC packaging, which has been shown to also contain DEHP, has come under scrutiny over fears of contamination.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, an institution under the WHO that coordinates and conducts research on the causes of cancer, has concluded there is “inadequate evidence” regarding the carcinogenicity of DEHP. However, some experts have suggested that exposure to DEHP can cause a decrease in sperm production.
Chen Mei-lien (陳美蓮), a professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at National Yang Ming University, said she found that plastic wrap and food containers made with PVC could cause DEHP to leach into food at levels as high as 7.27mg per kilogram of food.
DEHP can leach into oily foods. Covering food with plastic wrap while heating it in a microwave or other heating device could cause even more DEHP to be transferred into the food, she said.
Chen said most people were under the false impression that plastic containers would only leach harmful chemicals if hot food or liquids were contained in them.
This is wrong, because oily foods, even at 25°C, can be contaminated by harmful chemicals leaching into them from plastic containers, Chen said.
She urged authorities to regulate the use of PVC-based plastic wrap, which is not currently banned under health and safety regulations and therefore could be used by consumers who are unaware of the potential hazards of such products.
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
City buses in Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as the Taipei MRT, would on Saturday begin accepting QR code payments from five electronic payment providers, the Taipei Department of Transportation said yesterday. The new option would allow passengers to use the “transportation QR code” feature from EasyWallet, iPass Money, iCash Pay, Jkopay or PXPay Plus. Passengers should open their preferred electronic payment app, select the “transportation code” — not the regular payment code — unlock it, and scan the code at ticket readers or gates, General Planning Division Director-General Liu Kuo-chu (劉國著) said. People should move through the
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