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Health officials intercept tainted New Zealand beef

Health officials from Taipei city government seized seven boxes of imported beef from New Zealand yesterday that were contaminated with endosulfan -- an organochlorine insecticide harmful to human health.

Highly toxic

Endosulfan is a highly toxic pesticide that affects the central nervous system. Its use has been banned or severely restricted in many countries around the world.

The contaminated beef is part of 77 boxes of New Zealand beef that were imported by three Taiwanese companies in September, each box weighing 25 kg. Health officials have traced seven of the eight boxes that entered Taipei, leaving one box still unaccounted for.

The Taipei health officials took the action after being notified by the Department of Health (DOH) that tests conducted in South Korea found that the endosulfan levels in the New Zealand beef had reached 0.5 ppm, much higher than the maximum allowable limit in Taiwan of 0.1 ppm.

The DOH contacted the New Zealand government, which found that all the contaminated beef was supplied by the AFFCO meat company, which had sprayed its cattle with endosulfan to get rid of cattle ticks, causing the insecticide to be absorbed by the beasts.

"When New Zealand Food and Safety Authority (NZFSA) discovered that there may be a pesticide residue issue with a small amount of beef sourced from the country, they immediately notified the authorities in Taiwan and provided all the necessary information," the New Zealand Commerce and Industry Office in Taipei said in a statement yesterday.

Sophisticated

"NZFSA -- using sophisticated beef tracking procedures -- have fully investigated the matter and have traced the source of the residue to a single farm -- and a handful of cattle on that farm. The farmer had incorrectly applied endosulfan (a plant insecticide) direct to ten of his beef cattle."

The New Zealand government also informed the DOH of the three Taiwanese companies that imported the 77 boxes of beef from AFFCO in September.

"As a consequence, it is possible that some of the 77 boxes sent to Taiwan may have levels of endosulfan that are higher than internationally approved levels for beef," the statement admitted. "However, the levels of endosulfan suspected present no health risk to consumers. The levels fall well within limits for vegetables and small fruit."

The DOH called on the health authorities in cities and counties around Taiwan to help trace the imported beef and urged meat stores to notify their local health authorities if they see any meat product marked with the number 470309023629.
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