Hongkongers have been warned to lay off a whole range of dried bean curd from Taiwan that has been found to contain a food colouring that might cause cancer in animals.
If you’re reading this while snacking on some tofu goodness, STOP NOW and check the label!
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) has told traders to stop selling, and people to stop eating, no less than seven kinds (how many varieties of this stuff are there?) of pre-packed dried bean curd that have been found to contain “Dimethyl yellow”, a non-permitted food colouring agent.
Tests have showed that the chemical might cause cancer in experimental animals (so probably rats).
Although there is insufficient evidence to show whether the colouring has an adverse effect on humans or not, it is banned in Hong Kong “for the sake of prudence”. The maximum penalty for selling food containing the substance is HKD50,000 and six months in jail.
If you think this affects you, avoid the following products from Yu Hsiang Food Co:
Satay Dried Bean Curd
Pepper Dried Bean Curd
Mushrooms Dried Bean Curd
Garlic Dried Bean Curd
Meat Dried Bean Curd
Chicken Powder Dried Bean Curd
Sesame Dried Bean Curd
And just in case you’re now at a complete loss as to what to eat, the CFS has offered these helpful snacking tips:
“When choosing snacks, consumers should go for healthy snacks in appropriate portions, avoid those which are high in fat, sugar or salt, and choose more high-fibre snacks.”
Snack with care people. It’s a dangerous pastime.
