The trendy lemon tea is so "green" it makes you uneasy.
Compiled from: Shenzhen Special Zone Daily
Case review
Recently, during a special inspection of trendy beverages like "Thai-style tea drinks," the Shenzhen Market Supervision Bureau found that 15 out of 20 samples exceeded the allowed range in adding the food additive Sunset Yellow. To ensure the quality and safety of the summer homemade beverage market in Shenzhen and to promptly identify and eliminate potential safety hazards, the bureau quickly launched a two-month special rectification campaign targeting "Thai-style tea drinks" and other trendy beverages.
According to the "National Food Safety Standard for the Use of Food Additives" (GB 2760-2014), among commonly used synthetic colorants, Sunset Yellow, Amaranth Red, and Ponceau Red cannot be used in tea beverages; the maximum usage of Lemon Yellow and Allura Red in tea beverages is 0.1 g/kg, and Brilliant Blue is 0.02 g/kg. Long-term or one-time heavy consumption of food with excessive pigment content may cause symptoms such as allergies and diarrhea. When intake is too high and exceeds the liver's capacity, it can accumulate in the body, causing harm to the kidneys and liver.
Currently, the Shenzhen Municipal Market Supervision Bureau has initiated investigations into 15 tea beverage establishments that failed inspection, while guiding catering units to strengthen quality management, immediately remove and destroy non-compliant products. If the unqualified items are traced back to raw tea ingredients, the bureau will also communicate the non-compliance information to suppliers, ensuring proper control of non-compliant products, traceability to the source, identification of causes, and implementation of corrective measures.
Relevant Laws
[1] Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China Article 124
In violation of this Law, under any of the following circumstances, if the act does not constitute a crime, the food and drug supervision and administration department of the people's government at or above the county level shall confiscate the illegal income and the illegally produced and operated food and food additives, and may also confiscate the tools, equipment, raw materials, and other items used for the illegal production and operation; if the value of the illegally produced and operated food and food additives is less than 10,000 yuan, a fine of not less than 50,000 yuan but not more than 100,000 yuan shall be imposed; if the value is 10,000 yuan or more, a fine of not less than 10 times but not more than 20 times the value shall be imposed; if the circumstances are serious, the license shall be revoked:
(1) Producing and operating food and food additives containing pathogenic microorganisms, pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues, biotoxins, heavy metals, and other pollutants, as well as other substances harmful to human health, in amounts exceeding the limits set by food safety standards;
(2) Using food raw materials and food additives that have exceeded their shelf life to produce food and food additives, or operating the aforementioned food and food additives;
(3) Producing and operating food that uses food additives beyond the permitted scope or in excess of the maximum usage limits;
……
Except for the circumstances specified in the preceding paragraph and Articles 123 and 125 of this Law, if food or food additives are produced or operated that do not comply with laws, regulations, or food safety standards, penalties shall be imposed in accordance with the preceding paragraph.
If a new variety of food-related product is produced without passing a safety assessment, or if a food-related product that does not meet food safety standards is produced, the quality supervision department of the people's government at or above the county level shall impose penalties in accordance with the first paragraph.
[1] The author's perspective
The popular internet-famous beverages checked in by so many people have been found to have issues with non-compliant food additives, and must be severely cracked down on! The Shenzhen Municipal Market Supervision Bureau inspected various catering units selling homemade Thai-style lemon tea beverages across the city to ensure the quality and safety of the homemade beverage market in Shenzhen during summer, promptly identifying and eliminating potential safety hazards, thus safeguarding the tea-drinking safety of Shenzhen residents.
As consumers, when purchasing tea beverages, we should always choose regular shops with complete licenses and good hygiene conditions to buy milk tea, fruit and vegetable juices, and other drinks. When buying online, choose legitimate online platforms and merchants. Before drinking, observe whether the beverage has any abnormal sensory properties, such as abnormal color, unclear sediment, or off-flavors, and also pay attention to whether disposable tableware has any damage or contamination. Do not excessively pursue the appearance of food, such as beverages with overly bright colors or obvious abnormalities.
Finally, the author reminds catering businesses to operate legally and compliantly, never illegally add food additives, and never cross the red line of food safety!
