The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday launched its annual Lunar New Year food inspections, which is to include popular food products sold online.
Food is an important part of family reunions, get-togethers with friends and gift-giving during next month’s Lunar New Year holiday, the FDA said, adding that the inspections aim to ensure public food safety.
E-commerce platforms that sell popular holiday food products, manufacturers of gourmet gift products, supermarkets and hypermarkets, retailers at holiday markets and traditional markets, and restaurants that provide Lunar New Year dishes for dine-in or take-out would be inspected, the agency said.
Photo: Wu Liang-yi, Taipei Times
“We will consider various aspects during this year’s inspections, and will inspect 1,300 items at 270 locations, which we believe amounts to complete coverage that can ensure food safety,” FDA Director-General Wu Shou-mei (吳秀梅) said.
As many people purchase gourmet gift products or holiday snacks on the Internet, 70 food companies that supply popular food products online would be inspected for manufacturing processes and hygiene, FDA Central Center for Regional Administration Director Chen Tzu-ling (陳姿伶) said.
Seasonal food products — including fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, seafood and processed food, such as niangao (年糕, Lunar New Year cake), meat jerky, cookies and candies — would be tested for pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues and food additives, the FDA said.
Common breaches in past years involved pesticide, preservative or bleaching agent levels in excess of the maximum allowable limit, as well as expired food products and cross contamination, Chen said.
Food products that fail the inspections would be removed from shelves and their manufacturers or retailers could be fined for contravening the Act Governing Food Sanitation (食品衛生管理法), she said, adding that the FDA plans to announce the inspection results before the middle of next month.
Consumers should carefully check the packaging and appearance of food products, and avoid those with broken packaging, unclear labels or foul smells, and also check the expiration date and proper storage conditions before purchasing food products, the agency said.
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