Fermented bean curd products illegally imported from China pose a safety risk and people should not eat them, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀) said on Tuesday.
Lin’s warning followed reports from local media, including the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper), that posts about Chinese food called “moldy bean curd” (霉豆腐) had gone viral on Facebook in Taiwan.
However, the food product — which is mostly homemade or smuggled in from China — might pose a safety risk due to the lack of official verification of the sources of its ingredients and safety tests, the reports said.
Photo: CNA
The fermented bean curd being sold online in Taiwan is a “three noes” item, meaning that the products carry no maker’s name, no authorization mark and no approval label, Lin told reporters.
The products were clearly sold or brought into Taiwan illegally, given the lack of Ministry of Health and Welfare certification, she said.
People should not purchase “moldy bean curd” online, as the manufacturing process, including the selection and storage of soybeans and production management, is unknown, she said.
Such canned food products, if not properly sanitized, can contain potentially lethal amounts of Clostridium botulinum bacteria, she said.
People might “find it difficult to seek redress” if they become ill after consuming such food, she added.
Selling such products is against the law and people who contravene the law could face criminal penalties, Lin said.
The ministry and local governments are working together to increase inspections and seizure of such items, she said.
Yen Tzung-hai (顏宗海), director of the Clinical Poison Center at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, said fermented bean curds are high in sodium and have a “heavy” taste.
Consuming too much can cause hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, Yen said.
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