Vinegar resentment lingers: 7 substances brew chemical soy sauce, exposing carcinogenic scandal. In a supermarket on Happy Street, most soy sauce brands are labeled as "fermented soy sauce." Following the controversy over blended vinegar from Shanxi province, soy sauce has now been implicated. Recently, Hong Kong media exposed that hydrolyzed plant protein and six other compounds can be used to produce potentially carcinogenic "chemical soy sauce," which is almost indistinguishable in taste and texture from fermented soy sauce.
Yesterday, a responsible person from the China Condiment Association pointed out that these seven compounds, including hydrolyzed plant protein, are not illegal chemicals. The distinction between fermented and blended soy sauce does not belong to food safety issues.
Currently, the national food safety standard for soy sauce is under revision.
Seven substances brewing "chemical soy sauce"?
According to Hong Kong media reports, this chemical soy sauce is made by blending seven seasonings and compounds: sugar, salt, monosodium glutamate (MSG), yeast extract, hydrolyzed plant protein, inosinic acid, and guanylic acid.
Dr. Lin Hanhua, associate professor of biochemistry at City University of Hong Kong, stated that "chemical soy sauce" is very similar in taste and texture to the regular fermented soy sauce purchased, almost indistinguishable. However, he pointed out that the hydrolyzed plant protein in chemical soy sauce requires an acid to create the hydrolysis process. If the manufacturer uses hydrochloric acid, it will release a carcinogenic substance called 3-chloropropanediol (3-MCPD) during the process.
It was learned that according to national standards, soy sauce is divided into fermented soy sauce and blended soy sauce. According to China's "Blended Soy Sauce" industry standard, the proportion of fermented soy sauce in blended soy sauce must not be less than 50%, meaning that "chemical soy sauce" containing no fermented soy sauce and only chemically blended is non-compliant.
Hydrolyzed plant protein is not a chemical substance
Wei Xiangyun, executive vice president of the China Condiment Association, told reporters yesterday that "such reports are very inaccurate," and so-called "chemical soy sauce" is old news. He pointed out that these seven compounds, including hydrolyzed plant protein, are not illegal chemical substances. "Acid-hydrolyzed plant protein seasoning liquid" (i.e., hydrolyzed plant protein) is merely one of the raw materials for producing blended soy sauce, and it is a type of food ingredient allowed for production both domestically and internationally, not any kind of "chemical substance."
The China Condiment Association also disclosed that the current "National Food Safety Standard for Soy Sauce" and "National Food Safety Standard for Vinegar" are under revision. The new standards will strictly formulate various indicators, including pollutants, in accordance with the requirements of the Food Safety Law.
New standards consider limiting 3-chloropropanediol
Wei Xiangyun also pointed out that the distinction between fermented soy sauce and blended soy sauce does not belong to food safety issues but is mainly for classification management, guiding production, and leading consumption. Whether or not to establish a distinguishing standard is a matter for discussion within the industry.
Journalists found through research that 3-chloropropanediol is a substance that may cause cancer. In October 1999, the EU conducted random checks on some soy sauces exported from China and found excessive levels of 3-chloropropanediol, which led to a ban on the import of Chinese soy sauce; in 2001, there was a debate domestically about brewed versus blended soy sauce, targeting 3-chloropropanediol.
An authoritative person also revealed to the journalist that regarding the carcinogenic substance 3-chloropropanediol, the currently revised National Food Safety Standard for Soy Sauce is also considering incorporating its limits.
■ Investigation
All soy sauce in the market labeled as "brewed"
Yesterday afternoon, the reporter visited Dia Daily, Shuntianfu, and Yikelong Lutong markets in Fengtai district, where almost all soy sauce products were marked as "brewed soy sauce."
In the Dia Daily supermarket, the reporter saw more than ten types of soy sauce products such as "Haitian," "Jiajia," "Lee Kum Kee," "Kuanpai," and "Golden Lion." The ingredient lists mostly included edible salt, defatted soybeans, wheat, bran, and food additives like flavor enhancers, sodium benzoate, and monosodium glutamate. On the packaging of a selected Lee Kum Kee light soy sauce, the food additives also included disodium 5'-inosinate and disodium 5'-guanylate.
At the Yikelong Lutong market, all the soy sauce bottles, large and small, were labeled as "brewed," with no sign of "blended soy sauce."
■ Expert
3-chloropropanediol is safe within the standard
Researcher Lu Fei from Beijing Light Industry Research Institute indicated that the seven substances mentioned in the media report—sugar, salt, MSG, yeast extract, hydrolyzed plant protein, inosinic acid, and guanylic acid—are accurately referred to as "seasoning liquid" rather than soy sauce.
According to the Chinese "Blended Soy Sauce" industry standard, blended soy sauce is a liquid seasoning produced by mixing fermented soy sauce as the main component with acid-hydrolyzed plant protein seasoning liquid and food additives. "Acid-hydrolyzed plant protein seasoning liquid" is allowed to be added, based on EU standards.
Upon investigation, it was found that "acid-hydrolyzed plant protein seasoning liquid" is generally a liquid savory seasoning made from raw materials such as soybean and wheat protein. Since soybeans contain propanol, 3-chloropropanediol, a class 2 carcinogen, is generated during the acid hydrolysis process. However, Lu Fei expressed that the national industry standard specifies a limited amount for 3-chloropropanediol, with the content of 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol not exceeding 1 ppm. As long as it is controlled within the limit, it is safe.
Regarding the distinction between brewed and blended soy sauce, Lu Fei said that although there are no related standards yet, it can be determined by testing the chloropropanediol content in soy sauce because brewed soy sauce does not allow the presence of chloropropanediol. Once detected, it cannot be called brewed soy sauce but rather blended soy sauce.
■ Quality Inspection Sampling
National quality inspection qualification rate for soy sauce is 95.9%
The reporter learned from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine yesterday that the results of the national quality supervision spot checks on soy sauce were announced in April this year, with a qualification rate of 95.9%.
A total of 270 soy sauce products from 244 enterprises in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Guangdong, Sichuan, Shaanxi, and other areas were inspected. Based on the mandatory national standards for "Brewed Soy Sauce" and "Soy Sauce Hygiene Standards," 12 indicators of soy sauce products, including amino acid nitrogen, ammonium salt, total acid, total arsenic, lead, aflatoxin B1, benzoic acid, sorbic acid, paraben, total bacterial count, coliform group, and pathogenic bacteria, were tested. It was discovered that only 11 products were不合格(不合格 means 'unqualified').