rss feedNew labels placed on AFC Beancurd Sheets and Sticks after undeclared sulfites found
UPDATE: I’ve added information from the company owner since I originally posted this entry on Wednesday.
AFC Trading & Wholesale of California has placed stickers in English on some of its Chinese-made frozen bean curd sheets and sticks after officials found undeclared sulfites in them, the company reported.
The lack of English labeling prompted the Los Angeles company to issue a recall Sept. 7 with the federal government.
AFC warned people who are allergic to sulfites not to eat products with the “PO# 378″ on them.
The problem occurred because this batch, which was shipped in March or April, contained sulfites but that was only noted in Chinese, AFC owner Jackson Wu said Wednesday.
WebMD reports that companies use sulfites – which are sulfur-based compounds – to enhance food flavor or act as a preservative.
They can appear naturally in food and one out of 100 people are sensitive to sulfites, WebMD said, citing the Food and Drug Administration.
People who are allergic to sulfites could face ”serious or life-threatening” reactions, AFC said in a statement.
“People who are allergic may not understand Chinese,” Wu said.
The Food and Drug Administration requires this labeling and Wu said distributors either have or will put stickers indicating sulfites on this batch. He has not heard of any reported illness because of the labeling issue.
The bean curd sheets come in 8- and 16-ounce packages. The bean curd sticks are sold in 8-ounce bags. The federal government has posted images of the products in question as well as the company statement.
Wu encouraged people who bought these products and have questions to contact the store where they were purchased. AFC can be reached at (323) 223-7738.
An inspection by the Food and Drug Administration revealed the lack of proper labeling, Wu said.
The company encourages anyone who has bean curd from the batch “PO# 378″ to return it to where it was purchased for a full refund or exchange.
Sulfites reportedly are no longer used on raw fruits and vegetables. But people might see them used in potato chips, canned vegetables, trail mix, baked goods and soup mixes, according to WebMD.
My wife and I used AFC Frozen Beancurd Sheets when we made a dish called sprouts rolled in bean curd skin.
I encourage people – especially those who are allergic – to talk with store owners or to call AFC before they use these sheets to make this recipe.
