87.5 percent of cold noodles fail to pass safety tests: CF

excessive levels of viable bacteria, foundation Secretary-General Wu Jia-cheng said yesterday.

Wu made the announcement at a news conference to announce the results of tests on 16 cold noodle samples, four of which were bought from convenience chain stores, with the other 12 bought from traditional cold noodle shops or vendors in late May.

The foundation found that all 12 samples from traditional stores or vendors contained excessive levels of viable bacteria, while the total viable bacteria counts in two samples each from the Hi-Life and 7-Eleven convenience stores exceeded permitted levels, according to Wu.

Wu also pointed out that 11 of the samples —all provided by cold noodle stores or vendors —contained excessive amounts of the e-coli bacterium.

Foundation Chairman Hsieh Tien-jen said the inspected products that failed to pass the safety inspection should be removed from store shelves and destroyed and that store owners should make necessary improvements to their food hygiene.

Violators could face fines of between NT$30,000 (US$915) and NT$150,000 and could also have their business licenses revoked, according to Hsieh.

E. coli, which causes severe food poisoning, is commonly found in soil and in the intestines of humans and animals. Factors contributing to the presence of E. coli include cross-contamination between raw and cooked food, as well as poor food handling and storage, Wu noted.

Total viable bacteria counts, considered the most reliable marker of contamination, are often employed to assess food safety and sanitation during the manufacturing process. High total viable bacteria counts can be attributed to improper cleaning and sanitizing of water, equipment and food materials, Wu went on.

The sanitary conditions of cold noodle products have shown signs of deterioration since the foundation launched its annual safety checks on the product two years ago, according to Wu, who suggested that the Department of Health should demand immediate improvements by imposing stricter penalties on food sanitation violators.

In response to the report, a spokesman for the Hi-Life

convenience store chain said the company has demanded that the

manufacturer of the problem products suspend supply and will launch a comprehensive inspection. However, a 7-Eleven store representative raised doubts about the methods used to check the products, noting that cold noodles generally undergo several rounds of testing during the manufacturing process before being put into storage in refrigerators at 4 degrees Celsius.

The representative speculated that the samples that failed to pass the health inspection might have been tested under high-temperature conditions.

However, the foundation dismissed the speculation, insisting that the tests were conducted in accordance with professional standards.

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