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Results of tests on 31 rice dumpling samples collected earlier for preservative analysis and microbiological examination were all found to be satisfactory, a spokesman for the Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said today (May 16).
The preservatives tested include boric acid, which was found to be abused in the manufacturing process from time to time.
"Our results show that no boric acid had been used in the samples," the spokesman said.
Noting that there were recent news reports about the use of chemicals such as copper sulphate to brighten the green colour of leaves used for wrapping rice dumplings, the spokesman said there was no cause for undue alarm.
"Copper is an essential element in humans. Copper sulphate can be used in food as a processing aid. It is soluble in water and can be removed during the food preparation process including washing, soaking and cooking.
"The health risk associated with copper in dumpling leaves is therefore unlikely to be significant," he explained.
The spokesman also appealed to people not to buy rice dumplings with bamboo leaves which were bright green in colour.
They should also observe the following safety tips when purchasing and preparing rice dumplings:
Purchase
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* Buy glutinous rice dumplings from reliable, reputable retail outlets. Don't patronise illegal hawkers;
* Choose rice dumplings that are securely wrapped by bamboo leaves;
* Avoid buying rice dumplings with bright green bamboo leaves.
Preparation
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* Reheat the rice dumplings thoroughly for at least 15 minutes with the centre temperature at 75 degrees Celsius before consumption.
Consumption
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* Consume the purchased rice dumplings as soon as possible and avoid prolonged storage;
* During storage, keep the rice dumplings in the refrigerator at or below four degrees Celsius;
* Discard all leftover rice dumplings if they have been left at room temperature for more than two hours;
* Maintain a balanced diet and avoid over-eating rice dumplings with egg yolks and fatty pork. Take at least two servings of fruits and three servings of vegetables every day.
Ends/Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:53
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