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Pickled vegetables full of sulfur
dioxide: foundation
By Shelley Huang / Staff Reporter
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A woman holds up pickled vegetables yesterday.
The Consumers¡¦ Foundation said that three out of 20 samples of pickled
vegetables contained excessive sodium and suggested that consumers rinse pickled
vegetables before eating them.
Photo: CNA
More than 85 percent of pickled vegetables sold in Taiwan contain too much
sulfur dioxide, which can cause allergic reactions or induce asthma and other
conditions in certain people, the Consumers¡¦ Foundation said yesterday.
Pickled or fermented vegetables are popular among Taiwanese, who add them to a
variety of dishes to give them more flavor.
Although pickled vegetables are easy to make and cost very little, the consumer
rights watchdog said shoppers should be mindful of consuming too much of the
seemingly harmless dish.
The foundation conducted spot checks in December and January targeting 20 types
of pickled vegetables sold at various supermarkets, fresh food markets and
traditional market stalls in northern parts of the country and found that only
two types did not contain preservatives.
The foundation also found that to make the vegetables appear lighter in color
and therefore more attractive to shoppers, 17 types of the pickled vegetables
had been treated with sulfur dioxide in amounts exceeding the legal maximum
amount of 0.03g per kilogram.
Of those, 10 were packaged products, while the rest were unpackaged, the
foundation said.
Over-consumption of sulfur dioxide can induce asthma or cause problems in the
digestive system, especially for people who have certain allergies, said Hwang
Yu-sheng (¶Àà±¥Í), publisher of the foundation¡¦s Consumer Reports magazine.
The foundation also reminded consumers that the high amount of sodium contained
in pickled vegetables could overburden the arteries and lead to high blood
pressure or cardiovascular disease. Eating 100g of pickled vegetables could well
cause a person to consume more sodium than is recommended for an entire day, the
foundation said.
The foundation also advised consumers to finish packaged pickled vegetables
within a week of opening the packaging.
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