The Taipei City Government Department of Health yesterday ordered two popular tea chains to suspend sales of three tea beverages after they were found to contain excessive levels of pesticide residues.
Tests also confirmed excessive pesticide residues in vegetables served to school children.
The three items were among 44 tea leaf products tested by the department in April. They were Orange Tea’s (橘子工坊) “four seasons tea” (四季春) and jasmine green tea (茉香綠茶) and Share Tea’s (歇腳亭) black tea.
Photo: CNA
According to the department, Orange Tea’s four season tea contained 0.09 parts per million (ppm) of the pesticide ametryn — the residue of which is not allowed in edible products.
The tea was a mixture of tea leaves manufactured by two different tea factories in Nantou County.
A retest is being scheduled to verify which of the two factories is responsible for the tainted tea leaves, the department said.
Orange Tea’s jasmine green tea was contaminated with 0.006ppm of fipronil, higher than the maximum permissible level of 0.002ppm, while Share Tea’s black tea was contaminated with fipronil at a level of 0.01ppm.
“The two tea chains have been requested to remove and suspend sales of the tainted teas. They are to fined between NT$60,000 and NT$200 million (US$1,960 and US$6.53 million) in accordance with the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法),” the department said.
Meanwhile, three of the 161 ingredients used in school meals tested by the department in March were found to contain high levels of pesticide residues.
Among them were rape greens served at Shilin Elementary School, which contained 0.33ppm of the pesticide boscalid, about 32 times the maximum allowable level of 0.01ppm; Taiwanese lettuce served at Beitou Elementary School, which had 0.05ppm of tebuconazole, which has a maximum permissible level of 0.01ppm; and oranges provided by the Wen Chang Primary School, which contained 0.05ppm of propiconazole, higher than the limit of 0.03ppm.
“The foods were unwashed when they were tested. We have notified the schools of the results and requested their contracted meal preparation companies stop using ingredients from the same suppliers,” the department’s Food and Drug Division director Wang Ming-li (王明理) told a press conference yesterday morning.
Wang said the companies were to be fined a maximum of NT$200 million.
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
RSS