For anyone who has ever wondered what goes into their favourite fish balls, fish rolls, or fish sausages, a new safety sweep in Macau offers some rare good news. The Macau Consumer Council, working with the Municipal Affairs Bureau’s Food Safety Department, recently tested ten popular cooked fish products purchased from local supermarkets. The mission was to check for two common but tightly regulated preservatives—benzoic acid and sorbic acid. The result was a clean sweep: all ten samples passed with flying colours.
Why the Test Matters
Processed fish is a staple in hotpot spreads, noodle soups, and street-food stalls across the region. To keep these products stable on the shelf, some manufacturers rely on preservatives. However, when used excessively or added illegally, these chemicals can pose health risks.
Benzoic acid, for example, is widely found in acidic foods like soft drinks and pickles, but it is banned outright from cooked fish products under Macau’s food standards. Sorbic acid is considered less toxic and is permitted, but only up to strict legal limits. The Council’s test was designed to find out if the industry was sticking to the rules.
The Testing Process
Investigators posing as ordinary shoppers bought samples from major supermarkets and food suppliers. The selection was deliberately broad. It included familiar white fish balls, fish rolls, fish sausages, and fish cakes. The origins were just as varied, spanning Japan, Thailand, mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, and Macau SAR.
The lab results were unambiguous. No detectable traces of sorbic acid or benzoic acid were found in any of the 10 samples. This 100% compliance rate indicates that manufacturers are either relying on alternative preservation methods—such as strict cold chains and high-quality packaging—or simply adhering to recipes that don’t require synthetic additives.
Safety Advice from the Experts
The Food Safety Department noted that a clean test result at the point of sale is only half the battle. Consumers play a key role in keeping food safe after it leaves the shop. The department shared three practical tips:
- Buy Smart, Inspect Before Eating: Stick to reputable retailers with good hygiene practices. Before you eat, check the product. If it smells off, looks undercooked, or has any foreign matter, discard it immediately.
- Chill Immediately: If you aren’t eating the fish products right away, transfer them to a clean sealed container and store them in the fridge at 5°C or below. This slows bacterial growth significantly.
- Reheat Once and Thoroughly: Always reheat until the centre is piping hot. Do not reheat more than once. Repeated warming degrades the food’s quality and increases the risk of contamination.
The Broader Impact
This test is a strong signal that regulatory oversight in the region is holding the line. For consumers in Hong Kong and Macau who love their convenience foods, it offers peace of mind. However, experts remind us that food safety is a shared responsibility. Ongoing vigilance from regulators, combined with smart habits at home, is what keeps our favourite fishy snacks safe to enjoy.