Test results on noodles produced by South Korea’s Nongshim Co that were reported to contain traces of benzopyrene and were recalled in South Korea last month, showed low levels of benzopyrene that were within the limits set under international standards, the Department of Health said yesterday.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said shortly after South Korea recalled six Nongshim products, including two types found to contain a known carcinogen, benzopyrene, the agency immediately ordered two Nongshim-brand noodles sold in Taiwan — Neoguri seafood mild noodles and Neoguri seafood spicy noodles — to be taken off store shelves on Oct. 25.
In addition, the FDA said it had asked the New Taipei City (新北市) Government’s health department to inspect all imported Nongshim products and to send samples to the agency for laboratory testing.
Among five samples tested, the spice powders of two Neoguri seafood mild noodles samples were found to contain benzopyrene levels of 1.01 parts per billion (ppb) and 0.97ppb, the FDA said.
The levels of benzopyrene found in the tests were below the limits stipulated by the EU and the WHO, it said, adding that with a benzopyrene concentration of 1.01ppb, a person who weighs 60kg would ingest about 0.012mcg of benzopyrene from one bag of instant noodles, lower than the estimated average daily intake of 0.24mcg (for a person of 60kg) calculated by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives.
Because the amount of spice powder eaten with instant noodles is small, the exposure to benzopyrene is not considered harmful to human health, the FDA added.
At the Legislative Yuan yesterday, FDA Director-General Kang Jaw-jou (康照洲) said: “We will quickly do a background survey on all food products, and set a standard for the substance after we have gained enough information and have discussed it with specialists.”
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
STATS: Taiwan’s average life expectancy of 80.77 years was lower than that of Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than in China, Malaysia and Indonesia Taiwan’s average life expectancy last year increased to 80.77 years, but was still not back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 81.32 years in 2020, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. The average life expectancy last year increased the 0.54 years from 2023, the ministry said in a statement. For men and women, the average life expectancy last year was 77.42 years and 84.30 years respectively, up 0.48 years and 0.56 years from the previous year. Taiwan’s average life expectancy peaked at 81.32 years in 2020, as the nation was relatively unaffected by the pandemic that year. The metric
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
Passengers on Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) will be required to use headphones and make phone calls in gangways under new “quiet travel” rules starting Sept. 22. THSR Chairman Shih Che (史哲) told media that THSR will run a three-month promotional campaign to ensure widespread adoption of the new rules. Those repeatedly ignoring the guidance face the potential termination of their transport contract, which can result in them getting escorted off the train, according to THSR. Shih shared his hope to cultivate an environment conducive to rest and reading for the train’s passengers, stating that these changes aim to “promote self-discipline” among passengers
RSS