Eating immediately after handling currency could make you sick, the Consumers' Foundation warned as it released the results of a study on Wednesday showing that money can contain high concentrations of bacteria.
The foundation tested twelve NT$100 bills and found that nine of them contained Staphylococcus aureus -- a type of bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
Two other bills were found to be harboring Bacillus bacteria.
The number of bacteria on each sample banknote measured between 100,000 and 1 million colony-forming units (CFU).
The bacteria content on one of the bills exceeded 1 million CFU.
Food standards state that the total bacteria in any food item must not exceed 100,000 CFU.
The foundation conducted the test according to guidelines on food and environmental microorganism examination methods set by the Department of Environmental Protection.
The bills used in the test were collected at traditional open-air markets, bakeries, drink stands and cafeterias in Taipei in July.
Central bank official Tsai Yen-shu (
Meanwhile, Tri-Service General Hospital family health doctor Chen Yung-huang (陳永煌) said that Staphylococcus aureusas did not pose a serious health threat as long as people wash their hands.
Chen warned, however, that people who lick their fingers while counting bills risked swallowing bacteria.
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard