A top official with the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture (COA) yesterday assured the public of the safety of locally produced Agaricus blazei Murill mushrooms, after some products sold on the Taiwan market were found to contain a toxic heavy metal, cadmium.
Lin Kuo-hua, vice chairman of the COA, made the remarks at a budget screening session in the Legislative Yuan.
He told lawmakers that Brazil mushroom products found to contain cadmium were imported and that there is no such problem with locally produced mushrooms of the kind.
Lin was responding to the results of tests on 35 mushroom products released Wednesday by the Consumers' Foundation. The results showed that seven out of eight Agaricus blazei Murill products sampled by the foundation contained excessive amount of cadmium, the maximum acceptable level of which is set at 2ppm.
One of the inspected products was found to have cadmium content that is more than eight times the maximum acceptable level.
However, contrary to what the COA claims, data from the foundation shows that one of the sampled products was produced by an organic farm located near Sun Moon Lake in Nantou County.
Just one day earlier, Chen Jen-hung, chairman of the CF, told a press conference that cadmium can find its way into human body via foods eaten, water drunk, and the inhalation system, and then can be stored in the liver and kidneys. Although part of the cadmium absorbed can be released via urine and excrement, long-term absorption of low volumes of cadmium can undermine the uropoietic system, and make bones suffer.
Chen called for dealers to remove the problem Brazil mushrooms from retailing stands and racks, lest consumers should have their health undermined by excessive cadmium content.
He also urged the government to regularly conduct spot checks of mushrooms and fungus products retailed, and take measures against poor-quality items.
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