Toyo and you alone: Is your soy sauce carcinogenic?
Most people love it in fact, some people can’t eat without it. It spices up our food and our lives. So, this has got to be the most unsavory news we’ll ever read perhaps over a sumptuous lunch of piping hot seafood noodles and assorted dumplings, while reaching for that ubiquitous, indispensable soy sauce dispenser: A chemical ingredient in some tainted soy sauce products from China has been identified by the European Commission’s Scientific Committee for Food as a “suspected genotoxic carcinogen.”
Allow us to spill the facts: High levels of 3-MCPD (3-chloropropane-1, 2-diol) were found in some brands of soy sauce produced in China. The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration initiated a survey to investigate what food and food ingredient may possibly contain 3-MCPD, a contamination that occurs when food is processed under unfavorable conditions. The European Commission’s Scientific Committee for Food recommends that residues of 3-MCPD in food products should be undetectable by the most sensitive analytical method. However, recent studies suggest it is “not genotoxic in vivo (in the living body of a plant or animal).” Thus, “further evaluation of the compounds by expert committees may permit a limit of exposure to be set.”
To ensure good manufacturing practice and protect consumers’ health, a permissible level of 1 ppm of 3-MCPD is prescribed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
All told, the highest levels were found in soy sauce, with 24 percent of the samples having more than 1 mg/kg. Apart from soy sauce, other aromatic sauces, stocks, and seasonings were found to contain 3-MCPD. Low levels were found in many other products like extruded snacks and sausages, maybe because of using seasoning or flavors containing 3-MCPD.
Following this unsettling piece of news, FDA warned consumers against buying unlabeled soy sauce products due to possible carcinogenic ingredients.
A group promoting public health and safety from harmful chemicals sends this urgent message to consumers: Do read food product labels carefully before buying, and be firm in demanding for information.
As soon as the FDA advisory came out, the EcoWaste Coalition’s AlerToxic Patrol made a dash for Quiapo and combed the area to find out if any unlabeled soy products were being sold there. The gung-ho team could only heave a sigh of relief as most stores sold only locally made soy sauce that was properly labeled and packaged. However, one AlerToxic Patroller was able to buy a bottle of what was called mushroom soy sauce for P35 from a vendor on Villalobos St. The original label of this product (see EcoWaste Coalition’s website) was noticeably
“The unbranded ‘mushroom soy sauce’ is definitely in violation of FDA’s mandatory labeling requirements for prepackaged food products and should not be sold on the market,” says Aileen Lucero of EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect.
She enjoins all consumers: “Please take the time to read the label for facts that should help you in making an informed choice for your health and safety. We have the right as consumers to enjoy access to complete and truthful product information and we should insist on it.”
Article 74 of Republic Act 7394, or the Consumer Act of the Philippines says: “The state shall enforce compulsory labeling and fair packaging to enable the consumer to obtain accurate information as to the nature, quality, and quantity of the contents of consumer products.”
To be doubly sure (better sure than sore or sorry), consumers are encouraged to take a closer look at the labels of prepackaged foods and check if the following requirements of the FDA, as contained in Administrative Order No. 88-B, Series of 1984, are taken into account: name of the food, list of ingredients; declaration of food additives, net contents and drained weight; name and address of manufacturer, packer, and distributor; lot identification
What’s more, the FDA, through Memorandum Circular No. 18, Series of 1994, requires the display of the food registration number on the label of prepackaged food products. R.A. 7394 further requires additional labeling info for foods, such as expiry or expiration date; description as to whether the product is semi-processed, fully-processed, ready-to-cook, ready-to-eat, prepared food or just plain mixture; nutritive value, if any; information regarding the use of natural or synthetic ingredients; and other labeling requirements as may be deemed necessary and reasonable.
Please pass the (untainted) soy sauce!
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