The maximum allowable level of fipronil residue found in eggs is to be raised to 0.01 parts per million (ppm) starting tomorrow, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare yesterday said it has amended Article 3 of the Standards for Pesticide Residue Limits in Foods (農藥殘留容許量標準) and Article 3 of the Standards for Pesticide Residue Limits in Animal Products (動物產品中農藥殘留容許量標準).
After a series of food scandals involving fipronil-tainted eggs last year, the Cabinet instructed the ministry and the Council of Agriculture to set a maximum residue limit for fipronil in eggs as soon as possible, so that egg farmers would have a standard to follow.
According to current regulations, no trace of fipronil should be found in eggs, meaning that any level of fipronil residue detected above 0.005ppm — the smallest concentration that can be reliably measured — is considered illegal.
This resulted in hundreds of thousands of fipronil-tainted eggs being destroyed last year.
The FDA said a council survey found that, as fipronil is allowed on grain crops, animal feed can sometimes contain residue, which results in it being found in eggs.
The ministry based the maximum allowable level on specialists’ suggestions and safety evaluations, it said, adding that residue levels above 0.01ppm could indicate that the insecticide was intentionally used by the egg farmer.
The amendments also include the cancellation of maximum allowable fipronil levels — meaning no trace should be found — for five types of fruit and vegetables: adzuki beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, mangoes and vegetables with tighter leaves, such as cabbage, lettuce, Chinese cabbage and iceberg lettuce, the ministry said.
People or companies that sell fruit, vegetables or eggs that contain fipronil residue levels exceeding the limit are to be fined between NT$60,000 and NT$200 million (US$1,968 and US$6.56 million), according to the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法).
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
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