Taiwan firm's search for cancer link drinks
By Cai Wenjun and Jin Jing |
01:46 UTC+8 June 1, 2011
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A SHANGHAI-based subsidiary of a Taiwan company whose products were found to contain an additive linked to cancer is working to remove contaminated drinks from stores on Chinese mainland.
Officials from President Enterprises (China) Investment Co, whose parent is Taiwan's Uni-President, said yesterday the company was cooperating with Taiwan trade companies to recall and remove Uni-President asparagus juice on sale on the mainland.
This comes after Taiwan health authorities said on Monday that two Uni-President sports drinks and an asparagus juice contain DEHP, a plastic polymer added illegally as a cheap thickening agent.
Yang Shouzheng, a senior President Enterprises official, said his company does not make sports drinks on the mainland and has never used DEHP in its production on the mainland.
"Nor are we involved in importing the asparagus product," Yang said. "The asparagus juice on sale on the mainland was imported through small trade companies. We are helping these companies remove products and refund customers."
Yang said there are several dozen cases of asparagus juice in the retailing channel, while another 500 to 600 cases are sealed off in storage.
Meanwhile in Taiwan, as more and more products are discovered to be contaminated with DEHP, the scandal has created widespread concern among the public.
Some members of the public are choosing to drink only water as they have lost confidence in the safety of beverages on sale on the island.
DEHP was used by illegal producers to replace palm oil in clouding agents, legal food additives used to stabilize emulsion, usually in fruit jelly, yogurt mix powder, juices, sports drinks and other beverages.
DEHP has been detected in more than 500 products in Taiwan, including sports drinks, jam, fruit juice, yogurt, dried fruit, health food and children's cough medicines. Cosmetics and stretch mark cream for pregnant women are also suspected of being contaminated.
Taiwan authorities yesterday began checking whether supermarkets and stores have removed all tainted products identified by the government from their shelves.
In another measure, producers using clouding agents were required to provide safety certificates showing their products are clean of DEHP by yesterday, or their products would be banned. Companies producing or selling DEHP-tainted products face serious punishment, the Taiwan government said.
Experts say long-term ingestion of DEHP can damage the liver and kidneys, cause female sexual precocity, harm male reproductive capacity and is a possible cause of cancer.
Taiwan's education authorities have promised to add DEHP testing to physical checkups for primary school students from September.
Officials may quiz parents about what drinks their children usually take and may also examine the child. Cases that arouse concern will be referred to DEHP clinics.
Full details are still being finalized by medical authorities.
Officials from President Enterprises (China) Investment Co, whose parent is Taiwan's Uni-President, said yesterday the company was cooperating with Taiwan trade companies to recall and remove Uni-President asparagus juice on sale on the mainland.
This comes after Taiwan health authorities said on Monday that two Uni-President sports drinks and an asparagus juice contain DEHP, a plastic polymer added illegally as a cheap thickening agent.
Yang Shouzheng, a senior President Enterprises official, said his company does not make sports drinks on the mainland and has never used DEHP in its production on the mainland.
"Nor are we involved in importing the asparagus product," Yang said. "The asparagus juice on sale on the mainland was imported through small trade companies. We are helping these companies remove products and refund customers."
Yang said there are several dozen cases of asparagus juice in the retailing channel, while another 500 to 600 cases are sealed off in storage.
Meanwhile in Taiwan, as more and more products are discovered to be contaminated with DEHP, the scandal has created widespread concern among the public.
Some members of the public are choosing to drink only water as they have lost confidence in the safety of beverages on sale on the island.
DEHP was used by illegal producers to replace palm oil in clouding agents, legal food additives used to stabilize emulsion, usually in fruit jelly, yogurt mix powder, juices, sports drinks and other beverages.
DEHP has been detected in more than 500 products in Taiwan, including sports drinks, jam, fruit juice, yogurt, dried fruit, health food and children's cough medicines. Cosmetics and stretch mark cream for pregnant women are also suspected of being contaminated.
Taiwan authorities yesterday began checking whether supermarkets and stores have removed all tainted products identified by the government from their shelves.
In another measure, producers using clouding agents were required to provide safety certificates showing their products are clean of DEHP by yesterday, or their products would be banned. Companies producing or selling DEHP-tainted products face serious punishment, the Taiwan government said.
Experts say long-term ingestion of DEHP can damage the liver and kidneys, cause female sexual precocity, harm male reproductive capacity and is a possible cause of cancer.
Taiwan's education authorities have promised to add DEHP testing to physical checkups for primary school students from September.
Officials may quiz parents about what drinks their children usually take and may also examine the child. Cases that arouse concern will be referred to DEHP clinics.
Full details are still being finalized by medical authorities.
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