Health authorities warn of risks of viral Chinese hairy tofu｜Taiwan News

Описание: A new viral food from China is raising concerns about food safety in Taiwan. This time it’s “hairy tofu,” a kind of fermented food product with a striking appearance. The tofu is inoculated with spores that create a fluffy layer of hair-like mold. Health authorities warn against trying to prepare the delicacy at home due to the risk of contamination by dangerous microorganisms. They also warn against purchasing hairy tofu from unknown sources.

Glass jars containing red preserves are up for sale online. They look like chilli sauce, but they are actually hairy tofu, a Chinese delicacy with edible mold that has recently gone viral online.

The snack is sold at many stalls all over China. But for many Taiwanese, the hairy and moldy appearance is quite off-putting.

Many tutorials can be found online on how to make your own hairy tofu at home. The Ministry of Health and Welfare warns that these DIY projects come with a high risk of food poisoning. If anything goes wrong you could end up ingesting aflatoxin, which hurts the liver and the kidneys. Or worse, get botulism, a potentially fatal illness.

Lin Ching-yi
Ministry of Health and Welfare
You have no way of knowing if the mold it is growing is the kind of mold you want. If you buy these products you could harm yourself, but if you buy them and resell them, that violates the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation.

Yen Tzung-hai
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Clinical Poison Center
Hairy tofu is a type of fermented processed food. The fermentation has to be carefully monitored by the manufacturer. If it isn’t, there is a risk that it gets contaminated with other microorganisms and toxins.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Health and Welfare ordered its local branches to increase inspections on Chinese wax candies. Now it’s urging the public against purchasing foods of unknown origin, especially brightly-colored viral products made in China.

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