The National Federation of Teachers’ Unions said children should be dissuaded from eating a spicy jelly-like snack from China that has become big hit among elementary-school students.
An elementary-school teacher recently wrote on Facebook that the savory “Konjac Shuang” snack from China contains extremely high levels of sodium and several additives, and that eating too much of it could adversely affect children’s health.
While some teachers are discouraging consumption of the snack, some students have taken to eating it secretly in the toilets, the teacher wrote, urging schools and parents to do more to stop students from eating it.
Photo: CNA
Konjac is a low-carb, high-fiber root vegetable often used to make a type of flour, and it is considered a health food.
However, clinic director Wang Chieh-li (王介立) wrote on Facebook that Konjac Shuang is a highly processed product that is high in fat and contains more than 1g of sodium for each 100g serving.
Federation president Hou Chun-liang (侯俊良) on Monday said that if teachers have nutrition and health concerns about some foods, they can explain their adverse health effects to students.
There is no need to worry if students occasionally try new snacks, but if they eat too much or the foods are harmful to their health, schools and teachers should take measures to restrict consumption, Hou said.
Yen Tzung-hai (顏宗海), an attending physician at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital’s Department of Nephrology, said the product’s 1g of sodium per 100g serving approaches the daily recommended limit for children.
The recommended daily sodium intake for children aged one to three is 1.2g, increasing to 1.5g for those aged four to eight, 1.8g for those aged nine to 13 and 2.3g for those aged 14 to 18, Yen said.
Ingesting too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease, Yen said, adding that a small pack of Konjac Shuang contains more than 200mg of sodium.
Food and Drug Administration data showed that 515,483kg of Konjac Shuang was imported from China from Jan. 1 last year to Oct. 31.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
RSS