Four more Taiwan food products withdrawn from sale
POSTED: 31 May 2013 8:22 PM
Full Free green tea tapioca balls (AVA photo)
SINGAPORE: The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has detected maleic acid in another four products from Taiwan.
They are:
- Full Free green tea tapioca ball;
- Full Free yam tapioca ball;
- Long Kow vegetarian instant rice noodle; and
- Long Kow rice noodle with thick soup.
AVA said in a statement on Friday that it has informed the importers of the affected products to withdraw them from sale immediately, and withdrawal has been completed.
It advised consumers who have bought these products to either return them to the retailer or discard them.
AVA said it will continue to monitor products from Taiwan to ensure that they do not contain maleic acid.
It said maleic acid is not an approved additive, nor is it an additive that is usually used in manufacturing food products.
Long-term consumption of high levels of maleic acid can cause kidney damage.
Friday's announcement brings the total number of affected starch-based products from Taiwan to 15.
Last Sunday, AVA announced the withdrawal from sale of 11 food products from Taiwan. They are mostly tapioca starch balls used in bubble tea.
That came after the recall of Sunright brand tapioca balls in Singapore when the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration detected maleic acid in some food products.
- CNA/ir
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