Weekly Quality Report丨 Under the banner of “sulfur-free”, it actually exceeds the standard! Sulfur-smoked Angelica dahurica is still secretly sold online and offline
Angelica dahurica is a commonly used spice in family soups and stews. It is also a medicinal and food species with a large market demand. According to the current "National Food Safety Standards - Standards for the Use of Food Additives", neither sulfur fumigation nor sulfur dioxide and sulfite food additives are allowed for the spice Angelica dahurica.
In recent years, as consumers' requirements for quality have increased, many merchants on the market have advertised "sulfur-free Angelica dahurica", claiming to be naturally sun-dried and sulfur-free fumigation. So is this really the case? Come and see the reporter investigate.
Has Sulfur-Fuminated Angelicae Angelicae been completely cleared from the market?
Reporter investigation
In August and September this year, the State Administration for Market Regulation issued notices on unqualified food sampling inspections, all of which named Qingdao: one was Gao Enzheng Condiment Store in Shinan District, and the other was Jingxuan Chengde Condiment Wholesale Center in Shibei District. The spices Angelica dahuricae sold by the two merchants did not meet national food safety standards for sulfur dioxide residues. The local market supervision department has carried out verification and disposal of the merchants involved. After the rectification, has the sales of Angelica dahurica in the local market been fully standardized? Has Sulfur-Fuminated Angelicae Angelicae been completely cleared from the market? The reporter made a special trip to Qingdao to investigate.
At Qingdao Xinzhong Tuandao Farmers Market, Angelica dahurica is sold in many stores that specialize in condiments. During the inquiry, the reporter found that due to previous random inspection penalties and rectification requirements, most merchants were aware of the prohibition on the sale of sulfur-scented Angelica dahurica, and the original-color Angelica dahurica placed on the countertops were all darker in color.
Subsequently, the reporter visited many farmers’ markets in Qingdao. The survey found that most condiment merchants are very clear about the regulatory red line that "the spice Angelica dahurica is strictly prohibited from fumigation with sulfur." A stall owner said that the original sulfur-free Angelica dahurica has its own natural fragrance, which is safe and healthy. There is no need to illegally sell sulfur-smoked Angelica dahurica just for the sake of appearance.
The "Jingxuan Chengde Seasoning Wholesale Center" in Fushun Road Wholesale Market, North District, Qingdao, was punished by regulatory authorities for selling substandard sulfur-smoked Angelica dahurica. During this return visit, the reporter found that the store had changed its sign. When asked by reporters, the merchant said that all the products sold in the store now were sulfur-free Angelica dahurica.
As the investigation deepened, the reporter discovered that the sulfur-scented Angelica dahuricae had not really disappeared. In the same market, just over 20 meters away from the notified store, there is a shop called "Jingyan Dry Tiao". The merchant said that two types of Angelica dahurica are sold in the store at the same time: the sulfur-free type placed on the seasoning table, and the fumed sulfur type placed under the countertop.
The reporter further visited the market and found that the secret sale of sulfur-scented Angelica dahuricae was not an isolated phenomenon. In another store called "Guangfuyuan Seasoning", the merchant also admitted that smoked sulfur angelica was on sale.
According to merchants, sulfur-scented Angelica dahurica has a whiter color and better appearance, which is the main reason why it is still marketable.
The reporter investigated and learned that Angelica dahurica was included in my country's first batch of "List of Items that Are Both Food and Medicine" as early as 2002. However, the standards for "medicine use" and "intake" are completely different.
Angelica dahurica is a traditional Chinese medicinal material. According to the "Chinese Pharmacopoeia", the residual sulfur dioxide content of medicinal materials and slices shall not exceed 150 mg per kilogram. But once it is used as a spice on the dining table, it must comply with national food safety standards and must not be fumigated with sulfur dioxide.
During further investigation, the reporter found that compared to the secretiveness of farmers' market merchants, some Chinese herbal medicine wholesale market operators sell not only sulfur-free Angelica dahurica, but also sulfur-smoked Angelica dahurica. At Chengdu Hehuachi Traditional Chinese Medicine Specialty Market, the sales staff of this store said that the Angelica dahurica they sell is divided into two types: sulfur and sulfur-free.
In another Chinese herbal medicine shop, the shop owner reminded reporters that when buying Angelica dahurica as a spice, don't be fooled by the "appearance". The salesperson said that for stewing meat and making soup at home, it is recommended to buy unfumigated sulfur-free Angelica dahurica, but for processing braised vegetables, you can buy fumigated sulfur-containing Angelica dahurica.
According to the merchant, when making braised food, adding the spice Angelica dahurica is mainly used to remove the fishy smell and increase the aroma. After sulfur fumigation, Angelica dahuricae changes its appearance and at the same time plays the role of antisepsis, insect control and extending the shelf life. However, the reporter learned that there is currently no scientific research data to confirm the claim that processing braised food with sulfur-smoked Angelica dahurica will make it taste more fragrant.
The residual amount of sulfur dioxide reaches 1070 mg/kg
Many products claim to be sulfur-free, but inspections show they exceed the standards!
Sulfur-smoked Angelica dahurica is still being sold in offline food wholesale markets, and the situation on e-commerce platforms is also worthy of attention. In September this year, the State Administration for Market Regulation issued a notice of unqualified food sampling, including some merchants on e-commerce platforms. After being named in the notice, does the spice Angelica dahurica for sale in the platform stores meet food safety standards? The reporter conducted a special investigation on this matter.
On September 18 this year, the State Administration for Market Regulation issued the "Notice on the Failure of 44 Batches of Food Sampling Inspections." Item (14) clearly states that the sulfur dioxide residue of Angelica dahuricae sold by Jingxi’s self-operated official store and labeled as produced by Sanfa Condiment Co., Ltd. in Leling City, Dezhou City, Shandong Province does not meet the national food safety standards.
The reporter found the "Jingxi Self-operated Official Store" and found that the store was still selling Angelica dahurica as normal. The product page stated words such as "Special grade sulfur-free spices, braised to remove fishy smell" and "Sulfur-free large pieces".
The promotional video repeatedly emphasizes "sulfur-free", and the page shows sales of 9,000+, with a recent positive rating of 100%. However, some consumers reported that they "threw it away as soon as they got it" and "it has a sour and pungent smell of chemicals."
After being notified, what is the situation of the spice Angelica dahurica on sale in this store? The reporter placed an order at the store and purchased the Angelica dahurica, which was claimed to be "sulfur-free", and sent it to the Zhejiang Provincial Food and Drug Inspection Institute for sulfur dioxide residue testing.
The test results showed that the residual sulfur dioxide content of this Angelica dahurica sample from Jingxi’s self-operated official store was 191 mg/kg.
Liang Jingjing, Director of the Food Inspection Institute of Zhejiang Institute of Food and Drug Inspection: As a food spice, Angelica dahurica is prohibited from using sulfur fumigation, nor is it allowed to use sulfur dioxide and sulfite food additives. The positive detection of sulfur dioxide indicates that man-made sulfur fumigation is more likely.
The reporter investigated multiple mainstream e-commerce platforms at the same time. The search found that "sulfur-free" is almost the standard slogan for the spice Angelica dahurica products.
This Angelica dahurica, sold by the "Caijiayi Flagship Store" on the Taobao platform, claims to be "naturally dried" and "clean and free of impurities", and has sold over 100,000 yuan online. Customer service said that it is no problem to use it for making soup and stew at home.
Is the ubiquitous “sulfur-free” promotion of the spice Angelica dahurica true to its name? The reporter randomly selected 6 types of Angelica dahurica that were declared "sulfur-free" from different e-commerce platforms and sent them to the Zhejiang Food and Drug Inspection Institute. Testers tested the samples in accordance with the national mandatory standard "Determination of Sulfur Dioxide in Food" (GB 5009.34-2022).
Liang Jingjing, Director of the Food Inspection Institute of the Zhejiang Institute of Food and Drug Inspection: First, weigh the sample and place it in a distillation device, add strong acid, steam distillate under nitrogen protection to release sulfur dioxide, and then use hydrogen peroxide to absorb and convert it into sulfuric acid. Finally, use an ion chromatograph to detect the sulfate ion content, thereby calculating the residual amount of sulfur dioxide.
The results showed that sulfur dioxide residue was detected in 2 of the 6 batches of samples.
Among them, the Angelica dahurica sample from Taobao's "Cai Jia Yi Flagship Store" that claimed to be "naturally dried" and "clean and impurity-free" had the highest sulfur dioxide residue, reaching 1,070 mg/kg.
It should be noted that Angelica dahurica itself naturally contains very trace amounts of sulfur, and the content is very low under normal circumstances. However, the 1,070 mg/kg detected at the "Caijiayi Flagship Store" and the 191 mg/kg detected at the "Jingxi Self-operated Official Store" are obviously beyond the normal range, and the characteristics of artificial sulfur fumigation are very clear.
According to experts, after sulfur fumigation, Angelica dahuricae is whiter and brighter, looks better, and can also prevent insects and mildew. Therefore, it is used by some illegal merchants as a low-cost means of "preserving freshness and beauty."
The reporter learned that excessive sulfur dioxide residues in food will bring corresponding health risks and damage the quality of Angelica dahurica itself.
Feng Suiling, director and chief physician of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peking University People's Hospital: After being smoked with sulfur, the effect of the volatile oil of Angelica dahuricae will decrease, and its effective substances will decrease by 2.5 times. Therefore, if it is used as a drug, its clinical efficacy will be reduced, and as food, the aroma will not be as good as it used to be as a spice. There are clear regulations in the Food and Drug Administration that among all spices, only star anise can be smoked with sulfur, and other spices are prohibited.
In addition to damaging the quality of Angelica dahurica, sulfur dioxide will be converted into sulfate and excreted in the urine after entering the human body. A small amount of intake usually does not cause acute harm, but a large amount of intake can cause a variety of acute discomforts.
Feng Suiling, director and chief physician of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peking University People's Hospital: After consumption, in large doses, it can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other adverse reactions in the gastrointestinal tract. At the same time, heavy metals and harmful compounds may combine with nerve cells and cause some neurological symptoms, such as convulsions and numbness. In fact, not only Angelica dahurica, many things will cause these adverse effects after being fumigated with sulfur in order to make them look white.
Experts specifically remind that compared with the acute stimulation of a single exposure, long-term and repeated intake of foods with excessive sulfur dioxide will gradually accumulate sulfide in the body, causing chronic health risks that are more hidden and more serious.
Feng Suiling: If you consume this kind of excessive sulfur-containing food for a long time, it may cause liver fibrosis, or it may accumulate in the liver and there are reports of pulmonary fibrosis. Therefore, sulfur is actually inedible. If used improperly and deposited in the body, heavy metals and sulfur levels will exceed standards, which will induce a series of symptoms.
Since the beginning of this year, the State Administration for Market Regulation has issued 21 reports on unqualified food sampling inspections. The results show that excessive levels of sulfur dioxide residues in Angelica dahuricae have been frequently detected. A total of 19 reports involve this type of unqualified Angelica dahurica samples, with a total of 32 batches. The sampling samples come from offline market stores, trading companies, and online platforms such as JD.com, Tmall, Pinduoduo, Ele.me, Meituan, and Douyin.
How to choose sulfur-free Angelica dahurica?
Two tricks to teach you how to identify
In response to the question of how consumers choose sulfur-free Angelica dahurica, experts gave preliminary identification methods.
Liang Jingjing, Director of the Food Inspection Institute of Zhejiang Institute of Food and Drug Inspection: You can make preliminary identification through appearance and smell. Natural Angelica dahurica slices are mostly off-white with clear texture; sulfur-smoked Angelica dahuricae looks particularly white in color, very uniform in color, and has unclear epidermal lines. In addition, normal Angelica dahurica has a pungent aroma, while severely sulfur-smeared Angelica dahurica often has a pungent smell; if you taste it lightly, you will feel a little sour. When encountering such a product, you must choose carefully.
Sulfur-smoked Angelica dahurica has been repeatedly banned. This not only reflects the profit-seeking impulse of operators to improve the appearance and extend the shelf life, but also reflects multiple regulatory shortcomings such as lax control over initial processing at the place of production, blind spots in offline circulation inspections, and lack of online platform review and control. We would like to remind consumers that when purchasing Angelica dahurica and other spices, you do not have to blindly pursue products with white color and bright appearance. It is safer to buy products with natural primary color and pure smell. Try to choose regular supermarkets and compliant stores to buy, and keep your shopping vouchers. If you find that the product has an abnormal sour taste or is suspected of being sulfur fumed, you can call 12315 to complain to the market supervision department.
