Magically conjured nearly 50 tons of "expired" additives

On May 4, Market Management Team 12B of Ho Chi Minh City Market Management Department inspected Hoa Binh Chemical Joint Stock Company (Ward 1, Tan Thoi Hiep Ward, District 12), a unit specializing in providing chemicals, additives for farming, food processing, cleaning chemicals... which was changing product labels in large quantities.




Market management agency checks the seal of additives at Hoa Binh Chemical Company - Photo: Le Son

At the time of inspection, four employees of the company were mixing and packaging products branded Mixphos-V, Nonphos-WF and Nonphos-V from raw materials imported from China with an expiry date of 4-5-2013. With only tools such as mixers, scales, packaging machines and packaging, this company "magically" transformed a series of expired chemicals to extend their shelf life by 2-3 years. After mixing, the products were packaged in new packaging (weighing 25kg) with an expiry date of 10-1-2015. Notably, these products were clearly stated to be manufactured by the company but did not show any information such as: product name, ingredient quantity, instructions for use, preservation, etc.

According to the Market Management Agency, Hoa Binh Company is a large importer and producer of food additives. This unit organizes the import or purchase from other chemical companies goods that are nearing their expiration date from other units for processing, then extending the expiration date. “The company buys a large quantity of goods that are nearing their expiration date on the market and then “extends” them to make huge profits because this type of input material is dirt cheap. The selling unit even “thanks” them for cleaning up the trash,” said a Market Management officer.

Initial statistics show that the amount of chemical additives violating regulations such as expiration date, product labeling violations... amounted to nearly 50 tons and 27kg of various packaging. Of which, the products that the company "magically" extended were nearly 10 tons. The total value of the violating products was estimated at about 2 billion VND. Market management sealed and temporarily detained all violating goods.

It is known that most of the raw materials used by the company for mixing are from China and have expired. Food additives such as sodium citrate and citric acid anhydrous are commonly used to adjust pH and act as antioxidants to preserve foods (cakes, starch products, etc.) and soft drinks.

According to experts in the chemical and medical industries, the use of food additives is extremely harmful to health. In addition to the fact that additives do not have the same effect as the original, affecting the quality of the product, these substances change and decompose, affecting internal organs, and if accumulated over time, will cause stomach ulcers and other organs.

According to Tuoi Tre - TH