Recently, there has been a trend among primary and secondary school students in mainland China for “edible textbooks” featuring text and test paper designs. However, the colors listed on two snacks labeled as starch products do not fall within the permissible range of colors for such foods, and many online products also lack ingredient lists, manufacturer information, and production permits.
According to reports in mainland Chinese media, these snacks are mainly made of glutinous rice paper, and are marketed under names like “eating homework” and “digesting knowledge.”
The online products can be broadly divided into two categories: one type only has packaging resembling textbooks with transparent rice paper inside, while the other directly prints text, test papers, certificates, and illustrations on the rice paper, with some products even including popping candy.
These snacks are typically palm-sized, with prices per bag ranging from a few cents to a few yuan, and some vendors sell them by the box.
Most online product pages display only pictures without listing complete ingredient information; some customer service representatives from vendors are unable to provide basic information such as manufacturer details and food production permit numbers.
One product, called “Eating Homework,” which directly prints textbook designs, contains various additives such as lemon yellow, bright blue, seductive red, and essence among its ingredients. The manufacturer’s testing report categorizes the sample as “other types of candies.”
A representative from the manufacturer stated that starch products should not contain colorants, so these products are produced under the candy category.
However, two other similar products listed as “starch products” still contain colorants such as lemon yellow, bright blue, seductive red, beet red, and gardenia blue on their ingredient lists. According to current Chinese food additive standards, lemon yellow, bright blue, seductive red, and gardenia blue are not allowed to be used in starch products.
Supervisory risk alerts in many parts of mainland China indicate that some similar products on the market may exceed the range or amount of food additives permitted, as well as pose issues related to production processes, environmental standards, and potential use of non-food materials. However, these alerts do not disclose the implicated brands, product batches, sample sizes, or specific testing results, leaving uncertainty about the products involved.
Dr. Wu Wenbin, Deputy Chief Physician of Gastroenterology at Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, warned that if these low-cost snacks are produced in small workshops, they may use non-food grade or even industrial inks, posing risks of heavy metal contamination and potential harm to children’s liver and kidney functions.
Comments in the online product review sections show that some parents buy “edible textbooks” as novel toys for their children. However, some internet users argue that these products are mainly made of glutinous rice paper, syrup, and colorants, and it is unnecessary to let children consume them for the sake of novelty.