‘We don’t dare to eat it’: Fujian bayberry packers allegedly soak fruit in banned preservatives and unregulated sweeteners
Fresh bayberries from Fujian, China, were reportedly found to have been submerged in a solution containing banned preservatives and unregulated sweeteners to extend their shelf life.
The alarming practice in Longhai District of Zhangzhou City was exposed in an undercover investigation by a Chinese news outlet.
The packaging of the artificial sweetener prominently stated that it was 8,000 times sweeter than sucrose. It also lacked three key pieces of information — the manufacturer’s name, address, and food production licence.
Another preservative reportedly contained sodium dehydroacetate, used to inhibit microbial growth in food. Research has shown that prolonged consumption of sodium dehydroacetate may lead to serious health issues, including tissue and organ damage. Last year, the Chinese government banned the compound’s usage in fruits.
In Longhai, a singular collection point can ship over 1,250kg of bayberries in a day during peak season. The fruits are sold to wholesale retailers and e-commerce platforms in Jiaxing, Zhejiang, as well as Shanghai.
Chinese bayberries, also known as yangmei in Mandarin, are sweet-and-sour fruits similar in appearance to lychees.
Practice is reportedly an open secret
However, the illegal practice is reportedly an open secret. To evade regulations, handlers set aside several boxes of unsoaked bayberries, which can be used if random checks are conducted.
In videos taken discreetly by reporters, a female packer was heard warning them not to eat a batch of bayberries as they had been “soaked”. She then pointed to a spot out of frame, asking the reporters to eat the berries there instead, as those had yet to be soaked. In another clip, another packer sorting out bayberries remarked, “We don’t dare to eat this.”
Other clips show various individuals soaking bayberries in bulk, with one man dumping a handful of white powder into a container of purple liquid and mixing it with his hand.
According to Chinese news outlets, the authorities in Zhangzhou City have been alerted about the illegal practice, and investigations are ongoing.
In the aftermath, bayberry prices dropped significantly, with demand reportedly falling by 28 per cent.
Stomp has reached out to the Singapore Food Agency for more information.
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