Kueh stalls are a staple in Singapore, owing to the pastry’s popularity in our country.
Sinking our teeth into the different kinds of kueh available invokes feelings of nostalgia and fun times with family.
Unfortunately, not all shops selling these scrumptious pastries seem to be up to par with health and safety standards. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has suspended nine kueh manufacturers for improper use of food additives in their products.
SFA urged customers to seek medical advice immediately if they have consumed the product.
On 27 Jul, SFA announced the suspension of nine kueh manufacturers after detecting high levels of benzoic acid in their kueh.
Under current regulations, eateries cannot use benzoic acid in kueh products except for their fillings and should not exceed the permissible limit.
Hence, after detecting benzoic acid in local products in March, SFA has been closely monitoring kueh manufacturers.
It was then they discovered a high concentration of benzoic acid in products from the following shops:
The products included a variety of dishes such as kueh lapis, mochi skin, ondeh-ondeh and more.
Source: Choo Yut Shing on Flickr
SFA has suspended the production, distribution and sale of the kueh products in these shops, as they were non-compliant with current regulations.
The agency also urged all food manufacturers to adhere to these regulations in the future, especially when using food additives.
The kueh manufacturers have furthermore been urged to recall their implicated kueh products. The recall is currently ongoing.
SFA said that based on the levels they detected of benzoic acid, consuming the affected products once or twice is unlikely to cause any damaging health effects.
However, consumers should not consume foods containing high levels of benzoic acid over a long period.
The acid is safe in small quantities but far more dangerous in larger amounts, as seen in studies showing reduced growth in test subjects.
SFA urged those with concerns to seek medical attention.
Benzoic acid is often used as a preservative as it has antibacterial functions that stop microbes from developing to keep food healthy.
However, as stressed by SFA, using high levels of the acid can, in turn, be counterproductive as it brings harm to the human body instead.
Hopefully, the affected shops will be able to suitably amend their products according to current regulations and learn the error of their ways.
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Featured image adapted from Butterkicap.
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