The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) has detected excessive amounts of the sweetener aspartame in two pre-packaged sugared fruits during a routine random inspection of food samples. IAM has immediately required the businesses involved to stop selling and recall the problematic products, and called on the public to stop consuming them.

Among the two pre-packaged sugared fruit products that failed to pass the tests, one was named “Seedless Dried Sour-Sweet UME”, which weighed 160 grams and was imported from Japan, with the expiration date of 5 November 2025. Each kilogram of the product was found to contain 6.2 grams of the sweetener aspartame. Another pre-packaged sugared fruit concerned was named “Dried Plum”, which had a net weight of 160 grams and was imported from Japan, with the expiration date of 24 February 2025. Each kilogram of the product was found to contain 2.59 grams of the sweetener aspartame. Both of the food samples above exceeded the requirements of the “Standards on the Use of Food Additives in Foodstuffs” of Macao.

Aspartame is a common sweetener. The analysis of the aspartame content detected in the samples concerned showed that it will not cause adverse effects on human body upon normal consumption in general. However, consumers should also pay attention to their health, maintain balanced and diversified diets, and avoid excessive intake of a certain substance.