DOHA: The SCH has allayed fears about over the quality of cheese products in the local market, in response to reports circulating through the social media that some brands of cheese contain plastic and are hazardous to health.
A video in English and Arabic has gone viral on social media showing a popular brand of cheese slice not melting but burning like plastic when put on direct flame.
The video advises people not to use plastic-contained cheese saying it can cause diseases like cancer. It has triggered concern among the public, forcing the SCH to issue a clarification.
The SCH said yesterday that laboratory tests conducted in Qatar have shown that none of the cheese products sold in the country contain plastic and they are safe for consumption.
“The SCH inspectors have taken samples from different cheese products in the local market (for laboratory tests). The results show that they are free from any plastic ingredients that can cause cancer,” said a SCH statement.
The SCH explained that cheese burns basically because of the presence of fat and carbohydrates but the smell is totally different from that of burning plastic. Plastic cannot be used as a food ingredient because it will neither digest nor decompose, contrary to what happens while eating cheese, it added.
Cheese products are classified into three types based on the method of production- white (fresh) cheese, ripened cheese and processed cheese. The last type is made using different types of fresh and ripened cheese adding salt and other ingredients that make it soft or solid.
Sometimes milk or non-milk fat is added, along with colours and preservatives. The final product comes in different shapes or in bottles, said the statement.
“Laboratory tests were conducted on all processed cheese like other types of cheese and the results confirmed that they are free from any plastic material,” it added.
The Peninsula
The Peninsula
