McDonald's Taiwan says all products free of plastic-based additive

A McDonald's meal. (Photo Courtesy of McDonald's)

McDonald's Taiwan has declared that all breads, pancakes and cakes sold at its outlets in Taiwan are free of azodicarbonamide, a plastic-based additive, amid food safety concerns sparked by reports that the chemical was found in breads sold by a sandwich chain.

The McDonald's made the declaration in a statement released on its official website Sunday, and said all the products are produced in Taiwan.

The company has declared the previous day that it respects Taiwan's regulations governing food sanitation. It underlined its use of strict quality control procedures to ensure all food products are in accordance with the quality and safety standards in the country.

The McDonald's US headquarters has recently issued a statement on its official website, rebuking rumors saying its McRib contains harmful chemicals.

"The truth is a small amount of azodicarbonamide, a common flour-bleaching ingredient, is used in our McRib bun. This is a common food additive and is used in many items on your grocer's shelves, including many hot dog buns and other bread products that you probably already purchase."

The additive is regulated under the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and "is considered safe." "It is not a yoga mat, plastic or rubber," the statement said.

"A variation of azodicarbonamide has commercial uses and is used in the production of some foamed plastics, like exercise mats. But this shouldn't be confused with the food-grade variation of this ingredient," the statement added.

Azodicarbonamide is a chemical used to make yoga mats, shoe soles and other rubber-like objects to add elasticity. It is, however, also approved by the US FDA as a dough conditioner.

The azodicarbonamide issue has caused quite a stir on the island following foreign wire reports that the breads sold by Subway, a global sandwich chain, contained Azodicarbonamide.

Subway Taiwan has declared that its sandwich breads sold at Subways restaurants in Taiwan do not contain the chemical that has been found in breads sold by the sandwich chain in North America.