The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Southern Center yesterday said a dried bean curd (黃豆干) manufacturer in Pingtung City has been found illegally adding industrial hydrogen peroxide in its manufacturing process.
The Li Cheng Business Co (立成商行) factory was inspected by agency employees, Pingtung District Prosecutors’ Office staff and the police on Thursday last week, after the Pingtung County Government’s Public Health Bureau received a tip from a member of the public.
“Industrial hydrogen peroxide is an illegal food additive and this company used it in the process of making dried bean curd,” bureau Food Safety Section leader Lu Yi-fen (呂怡芬) said.
Photo: CNA
“The company used it as decolorizing or bleaching agent and a little bit for sterilization,” Lu said.
A total of 1,350kg of dried bean curd and six 30kg barrels of industrial hydrogen peroxide, three of which were empty, were found at the factory during the inspection and tests on the dried bean curd found hydrogen peroxide residue, the FDA said.
The dried bean curd ready for delivery — mostly to traditional markets — or in stock was seized and sealed, Lu said.
Due to the short shelf life of dried bean curd, most of the company’s products that had reached the markets were already sold, Lu said.
Eating food containing traces of industrial hydrogen peroxide could cause digestive tract problems, including nausea and vomiting, Lu said.
The FDA said the company has violated the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法), and the people in charge could face fines of between NT$60,000 and NT$200 million (US$1,851 to US$6.17 million) and up to seven years in prison.
If the offense is determined to be a serious one, the FDA could also order the company to halt its operations, or cancel its food manufacturer registration, the agency said.
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