Taipei City’s Department of Health yesterday said 15 iced beverages and frozen products, including some sold at popular chain stores, had failed its bacteria inspections.
A total of 189 iced beverages and frozen products were tested for Escherichia coli bacteria and aerobic plate counts — an indicator of bacterial populations — and 56 products failed the hygiene test, the department’s Food and Drugs Division Director Wang Ming-li (王明理) said.
Of the 56 products, 15 failed a second test after beverage producers were given a statutory period to make improvements, she said, adding that the failure rate is 7.1 percent.
The failed products include those produced by chain beverage and food stores: Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea’s (一芳台灣水果茶) pouchong grean tea, Rabbit Rabbit Tea’s buckwheat green and Assam milk teas; Ice Monster’s mango shaved ice; and chain fast food store T.K.K. Fried Chicken’s (頂呱呱) jasmine green tea.
Wang said the companies will be fined between NT$30,000 and NT$3 million (US$993 and US$99,250) in accordance with the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法), and the products were ordered off the shelves.
The department said excessive levels of Escherichia coli or plate counts do not necessarily cause illness, but they indicate poor hygiene, so it urged the stores to put more emphasis on self-management, such as paying attention to product quality and hygiene, as well as personal hygiene of workers.
It said people who have concerns about food safety and sanitation or consumer issues can call the 1999 hotline from Taipei, or dial (02)-2720-8889 if they reside elsewhere, and check the inspection results at the department’s Web site, http://health.gov.taipei/.
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