AVA suspends Taiwan imports used for bubble tea due to DEHP fears
SINGAPORE: Singapore’s food safety watchdog has suspended the import of "Jin Guo Wan" brand of fruit juice concentrates, which are used as ingredients for bubble tea.
However, the Agri—Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said consumers need not be undully concerned as the products, which are manufactured in Taiwan, have been recalled and ceased to be used.
They come in bulk and are not available for sale in the retail market.
AVA said it had been testing beverages, jams and jellies manufactured in Taiwan for the industrial plasticiser DEHP.
Another import from Taiwan, "Sunlight Brand" Star Fruit Two, had also failed the AVA tests for DEHP.
However, AVA has given the green light to plastic cling wraps sold in retail outlets, after tests showed the level of plasticisers in the wraps meet European Union standards.
The tests followed Taiwanese reports that food wraps may contain high amounts of toxic plasticisers that can contaminate food.
AVA is advising customers to loosely cover food with plastic wrap and to leave a space between the food and the plastic wrap. This is to allow steam ventilation as well as to avoid the plastic wrap from getting heated up by the food and possibly melt into the food.
Supermarket giant NTUC FairPrice added that it does not use plastic cling wraps from Taiwan.
On Japan’s ban of green tea exports from four of its regions due to high levels of radiation, AVA said Singapore has not imported tea leaves from the banned areas since the Japanese tsunami and nuclear incident in March this year.
AVA said tea leaves and tea products from Japan are tested for radioactive contamination, and it will continue to closely monitor the situation in Japan.
— CNA/cc/al