‘Large amount of insect fragments’ in 3 brands of preserved vegetables, Hong Kong consumer watchdog says
Hong Kong Free Press
Three brands of preserved vegetables have been found to contain large amounts of insect fragments, according to Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog.
The Consumer Council sourced 30 samples of pre-packaged preserved vegetables from supermarkets and department stores, including kimchi, sauerkraut, gherkins, mustard tuber, radish, and pickled mustard leaf with olive samples.
According to its findings published on Tuesday, the majority, or 29 samples, were found to contain “light filth,” including insects, hair, metal and plastic fragments.
Three samples of pickled mustard leaf with olives – from Yummy House, Kun Xing Ji and Min Hong – contained between 91 and 310 pieces of insect fragments per 100 grams.
“Even though they might not be harmful to humans, if the amount of foreign matter is high, it indicates improvement of product hygiene is needed,” the watchdog said, urging manufacturers to exercise “stringent quality control” over ingredients, finished products, and the production process to enhance food safety and hygiene.
High in sodium
Meanwhile, 26 samples were found to be “high-sodium” foods, with sodium content ranging from 641 milligrams to 3,080 milligrams per 100 grams.
The council said that manufacturers would add salt to vegetables to create a “dehydrating” effect as a method of preservation.
According to reference levels provided by the Centre for Food Safety, solid food is classified as “high-sodium” if it contains over 600 milligrams of sodium per 100 grams.
The sample with the highest sodium content was that of pickled mustard leaf with olive, which contained 924 milligrams of sodium per 30-gram serving.
That is equivalent to nearly half of the World Health Organization (WHO) ’s recommended daily sodium intake limit for adults. The WHO recommends that adults should consume less than 2,000 milligrams of sodium per day, which is equivalent to about five grams of salt and it is slightly less than one teaspoon.
High in Fat
In addition, four samples, all pickled mustard leaf with olives, were high in fat, with total fat content ranging from 46.4 grams to 69.6 grams per 100 grams.
According to the Centre for Food Safety, solid food which contains more than 20 grams of fat per 100 grams is classified as “high-fat.”
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