Children's Probiotics Contain Trace Plasticizers But Do Not Exceed Limits, FDA: Continuous Monitoring

(CNA Reporter Shen Pei-yao, Taipei, 14th) A survey by the Consumers' Foundation found that some children's probiotics contain trace amounts of plasticizers, but they meet safety standards. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated today that all detected values were below the indicator value of 1 ppm. They will continue to monitor commercially available food products and rollingly revise guidelines based on international norms and related surveys to ensure food safety.

With rising awareness of gut health, many parents give their children probiotics. Today, the Consumers' Foundation published a survey on commercially available children's probiotics. In the plasticizer testing section, 3 out of 15 samples were found to have trace amounts of plasticizers, but all were far below the indicator values set by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and were deemed safe.

The Consumers' Foundation stated that although all test results complied with regulations and current guidelines have established monitoring values, it is still difficult to completely eliminate the risk of trace plasticizer migration from manufacturing processes and packaging materials. They hope this will urge businesses and competent authorities to pay closer attention to the special safety of children's health supplements.

Wei Jen-ting, director of the Southern Center for Regional Administration under the Ministry of Health and Welfare's FDA, told CNA this afternoon that the plasticizer detection values from the Consumers' Foundation's sampling were all below the 1 ppm indicator value stipulated in the FDA's "Corporate Guidelines for Reducing Plasticizer Content in Food." (Editor: Long Po-an) 1150414