DEHP: Taiwan's Version of the Chinese Milk Scandal?

There is a difference in taste because they put sugar in bread, here. They like sweet bread. Sweet bread generally stinks. But obviously, they put more than just sugar in it. :s

In response to Aliceinwonderland above: the Coco tea chain have got a notice saying none of their product contain DEHP, nor do they purchase any products from that dodgy company.

(Of course, I can say nothing about how trustworthy this is).

To be clear, this stuff can be in anything that needs a stable viscosity (flow ability), creaminess, … ice cream, chocolate paste, peanut butter, creams and custards … you name it.

I just read in a story in a Belgian magazine that similar stuff is used in cosmetics and that main stream companies are now looking in replacing them. Has nothing to do with the Taiwan problem but withe action groups from the US and other countries that have taken this problem serious. Our skin is an organ that absorbs this crap.

On the side:
BTW, the Taiwan scare has not yet trickled down into European media as we have had our own scare … 18 or so deaths in Germany from a new EHEC bug (new strain), probably ingested by eating sprouts. Over 1,000 people affected, sick … but now slowing down, luckily … Spain and Belgium, Holland are the worst affected economically as the Germans pointed fingers at Spanish cucumbers and tomatoes. Belgium as is Holland are major growers of these veggies (glasshouse) and saw the market collapse, millions of Euros lost. The Russians closed their borders for all European veggies until further notice. Now the Germans found out the sprouts are grown and treated locally in Germany. Today we’ll know for sure.

I always drank grapefruit green tea from 50嵐:
50lan.com.tw/news_show.php?id=39
Their website says grapefruit juice is clear, and other products are waiting to be checked. Not sure how comforting that is.

That sweet taste in Taiwan is not from sugar, sugar tastes like sugar … not some mellow sweet yucky flavor.
I know that it’s incorporated in shortening they use, hardened palm fat. Cheap, unhealthy, flavored and colored artificially. Seen it, smelled it from close by … never used it tho.

And, I noticed that lot’s of people no longer prefer sweetened bread. Bakeries in Taipei start having ‘normal’ tasting bread on their shelf, marked (sold) as western style, but still not really as we know it … they still put all kinds of stuff in it … like analog (fake) cheese and fake (made with vegetable shortening instead of cocoa butter) chocolate … but also good things as raisins and nuts, herbs.

One thing I have noticed long ago, Imei has had normal tasting breads in their range for over a decade.

Oh, they also have this (clarified) butter that’s in a tin and has a shelf life of a hundred years. Same story, crap … flavored, colored …

There’s a good chance that both their drinks AND their desserts have had the plasticizers in them for years. See below.

The latest news (sorry, no link – I’m just typing as my wife reads local news off her iPhone): Yu Shen sold the toxic crap to some company which sold to two companies in Zhanghua which supplied ingredients for desserts or finished desserts (I’m not sure) to restaurants ranging from low to high end. Also, RTMart’s bakery (ies?) had all their stuff tested on their own initiative (good for them!) and found DEHP in their tiramisu. Carrefour has a different supplier than RTMart, for whatever that’s worth. And Costco did not proactively test because all their stuff is imported.

BTW, if anyone wants to try baking their own bread, to get away from all this crap laced with plasticizers (and which will STILL be loaded with artificial ingredients like “dough conditioners”, “crust enhancers”, “aroma enhancers” etc. after the DEHP is weeded out), here are four useful links for you:
First, on Forumosa:
Bake your own bread!
Home oven recommendations
(I like the Dr. Goods oven available at DIY baking supply shops like the one tucked away in a residential street under and just south of the eastbound onramp to the Minquan bridge. An island-wide list of baking suppy stores is here: DIY baking supply / supplies - #47 by Dragonbones

and then videos and lessons for beginners, recipes, and an incredibly useful forum just on baking at thefreshloaf.com:
Want to learn how to bake bread?
the forum

and an excellent book:
The Bread Baker’s Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread [Hardcover][/quote]

Hey, don’t kill my future business plans … :laughing: :whistle:

I’ve seen “butter” for bakers here in a yellow tin, and it is most definitely not real, natural fresh butter. It has the consistency of over-hydrogenated palm oil and it STINKS. God only knows what it is. Rancid butter mixed with food coloring and hydrogenated vegetable oil, most likely. Every time I see French bread loaves with that stuff ladled on them in bakeries, I want to puke. The stuff probably has DEHP in it too.

:laughing: Don’t worry, the majority will always be too busy or too lazy to make their own.

I’ve seen “butter” for bakers here in a yellow tin, and it is most definitely not real, natural fresh butter.[/quote]

Apparently it’s permissible in Taiwan to add dehydroacetic acid to butter, cheese, cream, and margarine:

[quote]Cheeses, butter, cream, margarine: not more than 0.5 g/kg calculated as dehydroacetic acid.[/quote] doh.gov.tw/ufile/doc/1Preservatives.htm

Dehydroacetic acid is the stuff I mentioned earlier in the thread, in reference to the scandal in October of 2009 involving “You & Me” brand yogurt drink, reported in the Taipei Times:

[quote]Local authorities destroyed more than 9,000 bottles of “Yuanmi” [sic] at the factory and will fine the producers between NT$30,000 (US$930) and NT$50,000 for violating the Food Sanitation Control Law (食品衛生管理法).

Consumption of dehydroacetic acid can cause liver and kidney damage and is potentially carcinogenic if consumption is long-term, [a Taipei health department official] said.[/quote] DEHP: Taiwan's Version of the Chinese Milk Scandal? - #146 by Charlie_Jack

Apparently it’s also permissible in Taiwan to add sodium dehydroacetate, a sodium salt of dehydroacetic acid, to butter, cheese, cream, and margarine:

[quote]Cheeses, butter, cream, margarine: not more than 0.5 g/kg calculated as dehydroacetic acid.[/quote] doh.gov.tw/ufile/doc/1Preservatives.htm

It appears that in December of 2002, Taiwan’s Department of Health proposed to the World Trade Organization’s Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures that Taiwan ban sodium dehydroacetate’s use as a food additive (I guess that’s what happened; it’s kind of hard for me to tell who’s proposing to whom in this document):

quote Sodium dehydroacaetate [sic] (C8H7O4Na) is the sodium salt of dehydroacetaic [sic] acid, and has been used in food as a preservative.

(2) In the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, sodium dehydroacaetate has been permitted to be used in cheeses, butter, cream, margarine with the amount not more than 0.5 g/kg (calculated as dehydroacetic acid) under the regulations of “Scope and Application Standards of Food Additives” since 1987.

(3) Very limited research data can be found for the toxicity evaluation on this chemical. No adequate scientific data was found to ensure that the chemical is safe to be used as a food additive. Oppositely, some data mentioned that sodium dehydroacetate may induce an experimental [color=#000080]teratogen[/color] [according to MedicineNet.com, a teratogen is “[a]ny agent that can disturb the development of an embryo or fetus”–cj].

(4) In the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, [color=#000080]sodium dehydroacetate is added illegally very often in food such as cakes, cookies and breads,[/color] according to the inspection records of the health authorities.

(5) [color=#000080]The domestic manufacturers of cheeses, butter, cream, and margarine have denoted that sodium dehydroacetate is not a necessary food additive [/color]for their products. There are some other legal alternative food additives may be used. Prohibiting the use of sodium dehydroacetate will not disturb the manufacturing.

(6) Considering the use of sodium dehydroacaetate [sic] may present a potential risk to the public health and sodium dehydroacaetate [sic] is not a necessity on technical aspect, the authority has proposed to ban the use of sodium dehydroacetate as a food additive.[/quote] baphiq.gov.tw/public/Attachm … 403671.pdf

But from what I can tell on the Internet, it’s still permitted in Taiwan. For example, the chemical additive still seems permitted according to this document, which is dated March 12, 2008 (clicking the link will cause a Word document to pop up or download).

That’s kind of confusing. However, and in any case, I don’t know whether it’s used here these days, or if it’s used, how widely it’s used, or what it’s used in.

For clarity, I think the use of the term “plastic”, is better translated “emulsifier”.
This is used in many food production processes for various effects, mostly stability.
Not all emulsifiers are bad, in fact some are quite natural, and have been used for centuries. Mayo and Hollandaise sauce are two good examples of this. Lecithin is a common emulsifier that can be derived from egg yolks, soy, and other natural sources without bad effect.

These bastards used this chemical for no other purpose than to cut cost. The CEO and board should face the death penalty for this callous crime on humanity.

That sweet taste in Taiwan is not from sugar, sugar tastes like sugar … not some mellow sweet yucky flavor.
I know that it’s incorporated in shortening they use, hardened palm fat. Cheap, unhealthy, flavored and colored artificially. Seen it, smelled it from close by … never used it tho.

[/quote]Frankly, I don’t know for sure where the smell comes from, but I do find the bread sweet in Taiwan. Whether it’s sugar, the liquid glucose they use in tea or some other chemical, I don’t know. It just tastes sweet.

Is there really such a thing as “hardened palm fat?” How can a palm tree have fat?

PS: I was always under the impression that “fat” came from animals. I just looked up the definition. Among many definitions, one of them is: “A solidified animal or vegetable oil.” Hardened palm fat would fall under that definition. Please ignore my above uneducated question.

Sorry RobinTaiwan, hardened palm kernel (pit) oil … turned into shortening … which is a fat …

… and no saddletramp, I don’t think emulsifier is a right choice of word because it’s not an emulsifier … it’s a plasticizer, and has a different function.
Emulsifiers add stability by making it possible to mix two ingredients that normally would not be mixable, water and oil for instance.
Plasticizers (not plastic) have another function (change in viscosity and hardness, smoothness, creaminess) which will add to better stability. Legally not in food.

AFAIK, I think the confusion arises from the fact that this DEHP plasticizer was illegally added TO an emulsifier which is used as a clouding agent. That doesn’t mean DEHP IS an emulsifier. Anyway, it doesn’t matter much. The point is that the scoundrels poisoned us and our children for a profit and should be dealt with FAR more harshly than is currently happening, and the government should be held accountable for this grossly inadequate response.

[quote=“Dragonbones”]The point is that the scoundrels poisoned us and our children for a profit and should be dealt with FAR more harshly than is currently happening, and the government should be held accountable for this grossly inadequate response.[/quote]That is the point. This is not handled in a way that should make us feel safe about what we are to purchase in our local stores. This got me thinking about pet food. Can you imagine what they put in that?! I also wonder about laundry detergent. Nothing feels safe.

Commercial pet food is I think far more clearly labeled than much of the processed food made for humans here.

Chosen tidbits from local news:

  1. The Chang Kung guy -who’s almost a celebrity now- almost cried in front of the news cameras, begging the G’ment to pay attention to the matter.

  2. All talk shows/news programs/anchors of the political spectrum agree that the way things are being done now -checking individual products- is hare-brained. Instead, they should check from the top (distributors)…

  3. …which BTW have grown from just one company suppliying “DEHP and other Ds enriched emulsifiers” to three… so far…

  4. The news were using the RT-Mart tiramisu as an example: the supermarket checked the stuff themselves, and they took the iniciative of going to the authorities/public with the news… their distributor is not the original company that started this party…

  5. And last but not least, 100% of local jams and jellies were found to contain 0% of real fruit: it’s all artificial coloring. This I personally find awfully insulting, given that Taiwan’s fruit is abundant, delicious, and I am sure anyone would pay wahtever they ask for a nice jar of Taiwanese produce. So why in Heaven’s name do they have to use chemicals?!

Oh, and a final note on milk. In the program Guo Ming Ta Huey -not my favorite, but stay with me, this is interesting- they were actually making the mixes. For milk, you add a lot of water, some coloring, and a few droplets of milk flavoring and voila, a liter of “milk”. Please note that neither the coloring nor the flavoring have gone closer to a cow anywhere else but in a dictionary… Yet the smell, as with artificial fruit colorings, is stronger than the real thing. Try it. Go to any bakery store, they have it right on the shelf, next to the spices.

Yeah, the cheap ones in local supermarkets look AWFUL and you can’t see any fruit in them. Why? Greed and lack of scruples on the part of business people, combined with ignorance (not knowing the difference between good stuff and crap) and penny pinching (good stuff costs $) by consumers.

There are VERY nice locally produced jams and jellies like Red On Tree (在欉紅) using real fruit and even organic fruit, by the way. You just have to go to places like Simple Market or Earth Day green markets or 天和 (Tanhou Organic supermarket thofood.com tel: 2351-6268
Bei Ping East Road, number 30; two blocks away from Shantao Temple MRT Station; I’m told 天和 has a second store at Bella Vita (B2) in Xinyi near City Hall MRT), or the 248 Farmer’s Market, which among others has a place at B1 Mitsukoshi in Xinyi acc. to Dragonbabe.

I’m going to hang out in Alaska as long as possible and them bring back loads of sourdough starter.

icon, you mean the cheap ones which no one in their right mind would buy. I go for a local organic one that is loaded with real muberries. Can’t fake that.

I’m going to hang out in Alaska as long as possible and them bring back loads of sourdough starter.[/quote]

No need for loads. A tiny sachet (even dry) will do. Add water and flour once here, and you will soon have loads. :wink:

Anyway, you can just start a starter here, or have some of mine, which I got from BP.

And in case you need another incentive to start making your own bread:

[quote]The Department of Health yesterday said it did not plan to include bread and other baked goods in its inspection regime for illegal plasticizers …Food and Drug Administration Director-General Kang Jaw-jou (康照洲) said that more than 30,000 products fell under the five categories of foods and beverages that need to undergo laboratory testing.

As such, there was not enough time or resources to conduct comprehensive inspections of each bakery or pastry shop, Kang said.

[/quote] source

Meanwhile, here is a good indication of the extent of the problem:

Guys, organics are subject to other, far more strict regulators, so, it doesn’t count here as part of the problem -they are tested, actually, for any extra chemical, so the question of them not being chemical/unatural doe snot apply. Remember a lot of stuff that is considered organic in the US or Europe is not here because the bar is set too high. It is a whole different ball game -thank God.

Plus those coops and specialized supermarkets have a rep to build, they are communities by themselves, and the people who buy them tend to be zealous about their stuff, wouldn’t want to cross them.

So, yeah, stick to real stuff, real fruit, real organic… if you can. Many people eat those cheapies unknowingly: the taro mix for breads and ice cream, the kiwi soda, the sauce on your steak… seriously, guys, it is not just drinks and jams. It is a sneaky problem.

My flour is from Japan, the starter from US. The nuts organic. I hope that bread out of it will be OK.

Should be fine! There are no known problems with local flours, either – they are milled from imported wheat, and there isn’t any reason for the mills to adulterate them with additives as far as I can tell. The problem occurs when the bakeries purchase and add additives like flavor enhancer, aroma enhancer, etc., or when they load the bread with jam or custard filling.