Hong Kong will be on guard to see if there are foods there that contain a questionable lard-based shortening from Taiwan, a Hong Kong official said yesterday.
Noting that Taiwanese authorities have identified more than 70 food companies that have been using a type of lard produced by Kao-hsiung-based Chang Guann Co (強冠企業), which was found to contain recycled kitchen oil, Hong Kong Food and Health Bureau Secretary Ko Wing-man (高永文) said that the city would also check whether any foods other than Maxim’s Cakes’ (美心西餅) pineapple buns have been using questionable shortening imported from Taiwan.
Maxim’s Cakes, a Hong Kong company that also has shops in Taiwan, said on Friday that it had recalled all of its pineapple buns after it was discovered that its shortening supplier, Chang Guann, was among the companies using recycled kitchen oil.
Hong Kong authorities will also try to trace the buyers of the tainted lard imported by Dah Chong Hong Kong Holdings from Taiwan, Ko said.
Dah Chong has recalled all related products, pending the investigation by Hong Kong health authorities.
A bakery owner said that its sales of the popular pineapple buns had dropped slightly since the scandal broke late on Thursday, although only Maxim’s Cakes was confirmed to have been using the tainted lard.
A Hong Kong importer of Taiwanese food said that while its products do not contain lard, its sales are likely to drop by 20 percent to 30 percent over the next three months because consumers will be less inclined to buy Taiwanese foods.
Among other businesses in Hong Kong affected by the scandal is Taiwan-based Black Bridge Foods (黑橋牌食品), which had to pull its sticky rice dumplings from the shelves because it was using the substandard shortening in the dumplings’ manufacturing.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
City buses in Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as the Taipei MRT, would on Saturday begin accepting QR code payments from five electronic payment providers, the Taipei Department of Transportation said yesterday. The new option would allow passengers to use the “transportation QR code” feature from EasyWallet, iPass Money, iCash Pay, Jkopay or PXPay Plus. Passengers should open their preferred electronic payment app, select the “transportation code” — not the regular payment code — unlock it, and scan the code at ticket readers or gates, General Planning Division Director-General Liu Kuo-chu (劉國著) said. People should move through the
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
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