Findings of 2731 suspected phthalate-tainted foodstuffs during the 2011 phthalates incident in Taiwan

Wu, CF; Chang-Chien, GP; Su, SW; Chen, BH; Wu, MT

HERO ID

2347105

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year

2014

Language

English

PMID

24709295

HERO ID 2347105
In Press No
Year 2014
Title Findings of 2731 suspected phthalate-tainted foodstuffs during the 2011 phthalates incident in Taiwan
Authors Wu, CF; Chang-Chien, GP; Su, SW; Chen, BH; Wu, MT
Journal Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
Volume 113
Issue 9
Page Numbers 600-605
Abstract Background/purpose: This study aims to investigate what kinds of food products were contaminated by phthalates, mainly di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) and/or di-isononyl phthalate (DINP), during the 2011 phthalates incident in Taiwan, and whether the DEHP and/or DINP concentrations of some affected foods decreased after this incident. Methods: During May-October, 2011, 2731 food items were sent by individual citizens or companies to a government-accredited laboratory for the analyses of six main phthalate chemicals, including DEHP, DINP, di-isodecyl phthalate, di(n-octyl)phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, and butyl benzyl phthalate. A concentration of ≥1 ppm for any of the six phthalate chemicals in the foods studied was defined as positive. Results: The overall positive rate was 16.2%. The positive rate of possibly affected foods was similar between sanctioned and non-sanctioned foods categorized as "Others" by the government (16.0% vs. 16.4%). There were 33 food items, most of which belonged to the Others category, sent twice by companies on different dates. Of these, the positive rates of affected foods significantly decreased from 39.4% for DEHP and 72.7% for DINP at the first analyses to 3.0% for DEHP and 9.1% for DINP at the second, respectively (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Besides the government-sanctioned foods, foods from the Others category were still affected by phthalate contamination. Thus, vigilant scrutiny of food safety in modern life is necessary. Keywords: Taiwan; contaminated foodstuffs; di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate; emulsifier; phthalates.
Doi 10.1016/j.jfma.2014.02.010
Pmid 24709295
Wosid WOS:000341062600004
Url https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0929664614000734
Is Certified Translation No
Dupe Override No
Is Public Yes
Language Text English
Keyword contaminated foodstuffs; di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate; emulsifier; phthalates; Taiwan
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