WHO investigating reports of DEHP in Taiwan
Reports of findings of the carcinogenic plasticizer plasticizer Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate DEHP in beverages from Taiwan have attracted the attention of the WHO, and many of the island’s producers of sports drinks, packaged tea, fruit drinks and even yogurt could be impacted – including big names like
TaiSugar, Wei-chuan, King Car, Su-pao, Hey Song and Uni-President. Even the pearl milk beverage industry, which only recently made its way into the UK market, may be tarnished by the news.
Formulations of clouding agents such as DEHP vary from country to country, but the most common ingredients include gum Arabic, emulsifier, palm oil, sunflower oil and a number of other additives. Initial reports indicate that Yu-shen Company attempted to shave costs by substituting DEHP for palm oil, which is about five times more expensive, then selling finished or semi-finished materials on to beverage makers as a clouding agent.
The suspected carcinogen was first detected by health authorities in products marketed by Kang-fu Biology and traced back eventually to Yu Shen. During the past month some 40 to 50 different foods have been found with DEHP, and one source estimated that up to 40 food and beverage suppliers may have been affected. Part of the problem lies in the complexity of many packaged drinks, which may contain dozens of ingredients and can be contaminated by any one of the mix – analogous to a barrel of rice being contaminated by a speck of feces from a mouse.
A spokesman for the Department of Health notes that violators of health laws can be fined up to NT$300,000 while the penalty for using poisonous chemicals is up to NT$100,000, amounts which most observers view as ‘too cheap’.
‘The evil that men lives after them, the good is often interred’ goes an old English saying, and a similar Chinese phrase notes that bad things have a way of making their way into the public eye easier than good deeds. With Taiwan currently embroiled in a controversy over the WHA’s handling of its status as a province of China, this is not a good time for another black spot such as the presence of DEHP in beverages sold on the island.2011/05/26
DEHP Scandal in Taiwan
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Originally Posted by Markas
