TAIPEI, Taiwan — The supplier of potato wedges to local Mos Burger stores said Wednesday its products had been certified safe, as the Japanese-based fast food giant scrambled following reports the fries were made of toxic green potato.
▲圖／翻攝自中國郵報
Health authorities in Tainan conducted inspections Tuesday at eight Mos Burger locations after consumers complained online that they had bought wedges that were green under the fried surface.
They found 90.68 kilogram of apparently problematic green fries and contain excessive amount of the toxin solanine.
The Mos Burger product was involved in another food contamination case three years ago, when consumers fell ill after eating green-potato wedges at the restaurant. Tests later showed that had been poisoned by solanine, a glycoalkaloid poison found in potatoes.
Potatoes generally contain a small amount of solanine. When exposed to light, the vegetable turns green and production of the glycoalkaloid increases as a defense mechanism to prevent them from being eaten. Excessive solanine can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, low blood pressure, slow heartbeat, rapid breathing, muscle colic, salivation and hemolysis.
McCain Taiwan, which provided the frozen potatoes to Mos Burger, said Wednesday that its products were certified safe and did not contain excessive solanine.
The sale of fries containing excess solanine is punishable by fines of NT$30,000 to NT$3 million under Articles 15 and 17 of the Safety and Health Administration Act.
Mos Burger has temporarily taken the fries off its menu.
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