Last month’s inspection of fresh fruit and vegetables sold in Taipei found that 21.6 percent of the tested items had pesticide residue exceeding the maximum residue limits (MRLs), the Taipei Department of Health said yesterday.
A total of 88 samples were collected in August, and test found that 19 of them had pesticide levels higher than the MRLs — a failure rate of 21.6 percent, it said.
The items that failed the tests include Gynura bicolor, often called Okinawan spinach, which had four types of pesticide residue, and a shallot with three types of pesticide residue.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Department of Health
A longan, a chili pepper, edible amaranth and Gynura bicolor were found with two types of pesticides, while 13 items had residue from one pesticide exceeding the MRLs, including two samples of coriander and muskmelons, and one sample of longan, passionfruit, Taiwanese lettuce, pea, Fushan lettuce, Gynura bicolor, okra, string bean and lemon.
Nine of the failed items were collected from the Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corp (TAPMC) and were sold at Taipei First Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market, including a bag of chili peppers that had residue of the fungicide hexaconazole up to 26 times the MRL and another fungicide, pyraclostrobin, up to three times the MRL.
The sources of the failing fruit and vegetables could face fines of between NT$60,000 and NT$200 million (US$1,933 and US$6.44 million), and if the stores cannot identify the source, they would face fines from NT$30,000 to NT$3 million, the department said.
The TAPMC has also been informed that the suppliers of the problematic items must stop supplying fresh fruit and vegetables for 10 days, and they could lose their supplier license if their products failed tests for a second time, it said.
STILL DANGEROUS: The typhoon was expected to weaken, but it would still maintain its structure, with high winds and heavy rain, the weather agency said One person had died amid heavy winds and rain brought by Typhoon Krathon, while 70 were injured and two people were unaccounted for, the Central Emergency Operation Center said yesterday, while work and classes have been canceled nationwide today for the second day. The Hualien County Fire Department said that a man in his 70s had fallen to his death at about 11am on Tuesday while trimming a tree at his home in Shoufeng Township (壽豐). Meanwhile, the Yunlin County Fire Department received a report of a person falling into the sea at about 1pm on Tuesday, but had to suspend search-and-rescue
RULES BROKEN: The MAC warned Chinese not to say anything that would be harmful to the autonomous status of Taiwan or undermine its sovereignty A Chinese couple accused of disrupting a pro-democracy event in Taipei organized by Hong Kong residents has been deported, the National Immigration Agency said in a statement yesterday afternoon. A Chinese man, surnamed Yao (姚), and his wife were escorted by immigration officials to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, where they boarded a flight to China before noon yesterday, the agency said. The agency said that it had annulled the couple’s entry permits, citing alleged contraventions of the Regulations Governing the Approval of Entry of People of the Mainland Area into the Taiwan Area (大陸地區人民進入台灣地區許可辦法). The couple applied to visit a family member in
CELEBRATION: The PRC turned 75 on Oct. 1, but the Republic of China is older. The PRC could never be the homeland of the people of the ROC, Lai said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) could not be the “motherland” of the people of the Republic of China (ROC), President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks in a speech at a Double Ten National Day gala in Taipei, which is part of National Day celebrations that are to culminate in a fireworks display in Yunlin County on Thursday night next week. Lai wished the country a happy birthday and called on attendees to enjoy the performances and activities while keeping in mind that the ROC is a sovereign and independent nation. He appealed for everyone to always love their
‘EXTREME PRESSURE’: Beijing’s goal is to ‘force Taiwan to make mistakes,’ Admiral Tang Hua said, adding that mishaps could serve as ‘excuses’ for launching a blockade China’s authoritarian expansionism threatens not only Taiwan, but the rules-based international order, the navy said yesterday, after its top commander said in an interview that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could blockade the nation at will. The object of Beijing’s expansionist activities is not limited to Taiwan and its use of pressure is not confined to specific political groups or people, the navy said in a statement. China utilizes a mixture of cognitive warfare and “gray zone” military activities to pressure Taiwan, the navy said, adding that PLA sea and air forces are compressing the nation’s defensive depth. The navy continues to
RSS