Radish Cakes Without Radish? Control Yuan Investigation Reveals Additives May Induce Diabetes

Regarding commercially available radish cakes, some are made with corn starch, modified starch, and additives, and may not even contain radish. On the 31st, the Control Yuan released an investigation report pointing out that the Food and Drug Administration has not yet established regulations for the display of radish content, and has only relied on 'textual verification' of product names and ingredient labels to indicate that inspection results comply with regulations, which is clearly inadequate. Additionally, the report found that the Food and Drug Administration has not yet established testing methods for 'limited use' modified starch and has not reviewed the rationality of the limited use regulations. Therefore, the Control Yuan urged the Food and Drug Administration to improve. Furthermore, experts and scholars involved in this case stated that if radish cakes contain phosphate starch, they may easily induce diabetes and interfere with the stability of blood sugar control in diabetic patients. The Food and Drug Administration should strengthen education and publicity or take other measures. On April 28, 2024, media reports revealed that traditional radish cakes require time and labor to make, and some radish cakes are made with modified starch and spices, and may not contain radish ingredients. After the Control Yuan's investigation, it was found that some commercially available radish cake products are made with corn starch, modified starch, and additives, and may not even contain radish. The Food and Drug Administration has not yet established regulations for the display of radish content and has only relied on 'textual verification' of product names and ingredient labels to indicate that inspection results comply with regulations. The Control Yuan pointed out that since November 20, 2008, the Department of Health and Welfare has regulated the limited use of three types of modified starch, including alkenyl succinic acid aluminum starch, but the Food and Drug Administration has not yet established testing methods, meaning it cannot test the content of these three types of modified starch in commercial products, rendering the limited use regulations ineffective. Additionally, the investigation found that the Food and Drug Administration has not explored the reasons for the limited use of these three types of modified starch, the exposure risks of health hazards to the human body, nor is it aware of the actual application range of these starches in processing and products, indicating a clear lack of knowledge and failure to review relevant regulations in a timely manner as required by law. The Social Welfare and Health Environment Committee of the Control Yuan passed an investigation report submitted by Control Yuan member Tian Qiujin on July 22, 2026, requiring relevant agencies to review and improve. The Department of Health and Welfare stipulates that only products with 100% rice content can be labeled as 'pure rice flour' or 'pure rice noodles'; products with 50% or more rice content can be labeled as 'blended rice flour' or 'blended rice noodles'; and products with less than 50% rice content cannot use the words 'rice flour' in their product names and must prominently display the percentage of rice content or equivalent meaning on the front of the product packaging. In addition, the Department of Health and Welfare announced the 'Labeling Regulations for Packaged Rice Noodle Products on the Market' on November 29, 2013, stipulating that only products with 100% rice content can be labeled as 'pure rice flour' or 'pure rice noodles'; products with 50% or more rice content can be labeled as 'blended rice flour' or 'blended rice noodles'; and products with less than 50% rice content cannot use the words 'rice flour' in their product names and must prominently display the percentage of rice content or equivalent meaning on the front of the product packaging. Furthermore, the Department of Health and Welfare announced the 'Labeling Regulations for Packaged Beverages Claiming to Contain Fruit and Vegetable Juice' on January 21, 2014, stipulating that for packaged beverages that are directly consumed and have fruit and vegetable names or images on their packaging, if the fruit and vegetable juice content is 10% or more, the original juice content rate must be labeled, and if it is less than 10%, 'Fruit (Vegetable) Juice Content Less Than 10%' or the original juice content rate must be labeled. On February 19, 2014, the 'Naming and Labeling Regulations for Fresh Milk, Long-Life Milk, Flavored Milk, Milk Drinks, and Milk Powder' were announced, clearly stipulating that manufactured milk powder products must label the percentage of milk powder content. It can be seen that for products whose product names are directly labeled with food ingredient names, the Department of Health and Welfare has already established precedents for regulating the 'content' labeling of rice flour, fruit juice, and dairy products. According to the consulting experts and scholars of this case, Japan's 'Food Labeling Law' requires that for products that emphasize certain ingredients on food names or packaging (e.g., Uji matcha cake, daikon mochi), the ingredient with the highest content must indicate the origin of that ingredient, but it does not mandate the disclosure of the percentage or usage of the ingredient. However, the Japan Consumer Affairs Agency still recommends that businesses label it to avoid consumer misunderstanding. The EU also emphasizes the importance of quantitative ingredient declaration through the QUID (Quantitative Ingredient Declaration) system. Regarding the Food and Drug Administration's inspection of radish cakes that do not contain radish, the Food and Drug Administration stated that it conducts inspections on the compliance of product labeling for commercially available radish cake products. From 2021 to 2023, a total of 462 cases were inspected by local health bureaus, and none were found to violate the provisions of Article 28 of the Food Safety Act. However, there is currently no testing method to test the radish content in food. If a product is suspected of having false labeling, further investigation is needed, and the case can be transferred to the health bureau in charge of the manufacturer for investigation. However, the investigation found that from 2021 to June 30 of this year, the Food and Drug Administration conducted inspections on a total of 1028 cases of radish cake products supplied by markets and breakfast shops, but did not conduct on-site inspections of the manufacturers to verify the actual amount of radish used. They only checked whether the ingredient list on the packaging of products labeled as 'radish cake' included radish. This formalistic 'textual verification' inspection method cannot confirm whether the product actually contains radish, making it difficult to ensure that the contents of the food match the labeling. Regarding the statement that 'there is currently no testing method to test the radish content in food,' the experts and scholars of this case stated that according to the Food and Drug Administration's food nutrition component database, white radish contains approximately 1.1 grams of dietary fiber per 100 grams, while non-glutinous rice has a dietary fiber content of zero. During the steaming process of radish cakes, the main 'moisture loss' comes from the release of water from radish strands when heated. Generally, radish strands release about 15 to 20% of their weight in water after stir-frying, and this water becomes part of the 'total liquid' in the batter. Therefore, if a product is named 'radish cake,' its radish content should exceed 50%. Assuming one piece of radish cake weighs 80 grams, its wet weight is approximately 94 grams, and the dietary fiber content is approximately 0.5 grams, making it not entirely impossible to test its content. Regarding the relationship between radish cakes and modified starch, the Control Yuan explained that radish cakes are a traditional delicacy. The traditional method involves grinding non-glutinous rice with water to make rice batter, using the viscosity produced by the gelatinization of starch in non-glutinous rice when heated to evenly disperse white radish strands within it. Then, steaming is used to solidify the starch structure. However, natural starch tends to release water when cooled and lacks freeze resistance. To improve this phenomenon, related businesses physically, chemically, or enzymatically treat natural starch to alter its structure, making it heat-resistant, acid-resistant, or less prone to aging and water release. This is known as 'modified starch,' which falls under the 'thickening agent (glue)' category in the 'Scope and Limits of Use of Food Additives and Standards.' Currently, 17 types of modified starch are approved for use. The investigation report also pointed out that acetic acid starch and phosphate starch are commonly used food additives in food processing. The former is mainly used in frozen noodles, frozen tangyuan, and crystal dumplings, while the latter is mainly used in ice cream, frozen meat products, lactic acid drinks, and baked goods. According to the 'Scope and Limits of Use of Food Additives and Standards,' these modified starches have no usage limits. However, the Food and Drug Administration should establish relevant inspection and management measures to ensure that commercial products containing modified starch are accurately labeled. Experts and scholars involved in this case explained that phosphate starch contains phosphates, posing health risks to patients with chronic kidney disease. According to data from the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) in 2025, the prevalence of end-stage kidney disease in Taiwan in 2023 was the highest in the world. Additionally, literature on the incidence of type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents indicates that Taiwan had the highest incidence rate among 14 countries, including the UK, from 2008 to 2019. Acetic acid starch belongs to high glycemic index (GI) foods, which not only easily induce diabetes but also interfere with the stability of blood sugar control in diabetic patients. The Food and Drug Administration should strengthen education and publicity or take other measures to prevent consumers from unknowingly overconsuming and causing food safety concerns.