A paper submitted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the international scientific journal Food Additives & Contaminants is expected to offer a new methodology to discern the difference between extra virgin olive oil and refined olive oil, further safeguarding national food safety, the agency said.
The process involves spiking samples of olive oil with 1,2-bis-palmitoyl-3-chloropropanediol, followed by analysis by a gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometer, the agency said.
FDA Section Chief Liao Chia-ding (廖家鼎), a contributing author of the article, said that oils usually produce high amounts of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) after being submitted to deodorization.
Extra virgin olive oil, which is cold pressed, should theoretically not produce any, or very minor, amounts of 3-MCPD, Liao said.
The paper said that 3-MCPD in samples of refined olive oil ranged from 0.97 to 20.53 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), far in excess of 3-MCPD levels in extra virgin olive oil, which ranged from undetected to 0.24mg/kg.
The agency developed the method in response to a slew of tainted oil incidents in 2014, Liao said.
The method would help ensure that products live up to their prices, which vary between five and 10 times for high-grade extra virgin olive oil, refined olive oil and olive pomace oil, he added.
“We hope to use this method to conduct product testing,” Liao said, adding that it would contribute to the safeguarding of the nation’s food safety.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
BACK TO WINTER: A strong continental cold air mass would move south on Tuesday next week, bringing colder temperatures to northern and central Taiwan A tropical depression east of the Philippines could soon be upgraded to be the first tropical storm of this year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the next cold air mass is forecast to arrive on Monday next week. CWA forecaster Cheng Jie-ren (鄭傑仁) said the first tropical depression of this year is over waters east of the Philippines, about 1,867km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), and could strengthen into Tropical Storm Nokaen by early today. The system is moving slowly from northwest to north, and is expected to remain east of the Philippines with little chance of affecting Taiwan,
RSS