The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday suspended chili pepper powder imports from China from 21 importers and manufacturers for three months after their products were found to contain Sudan III, a coloring agent banned in food in Taiwan.
A policy to test every shipment of chili powder imports from China, in effect since Dec. 11 last year, is to continue until June 10, FDA officials told a news conference, adding that more than 1.06 tonnes of products were recalled as of Monday.
The family of substances known as “Sudan reds” are categorized as Group II carcinogens by the WHO and typically used as an industrial dye for oils, wax and polymers, said Yen Tsung-hai (顏宗海), a toxicology expert at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.
Photo courtesy of Hsinchu City Public Health Bureau
Sudan reds have been linked to increased cancer rates in lab animals and human consumption of the substance can lead to the formation of amines, a probable carcinogen for humans, Yen said.
PX Mart Co (全聯實業) has recalled all 11,824 chili powder bottles of the affected batch bearing an expiration date of Dec. 12 next year, the FDA said.
An investigation found that the contaminated material came from a shipment of Chinese chili powder imported by Bao Hsin Enterprises Co Ltd (保欣企業有限公司), FDA Deputy Director-General Lin Chin-fu (林金富) said.
The New Taipei City Department of Health on Feb. 9 found four parts per billion of Sudan III in samples taken from that shipment, resulting in the recall of food products by five additional manufacturers, including Yuzhong Food’s (裕榮食品股份有限公司) popular shrimp-flavored snacks, Lin said.
Ho Ho Yuan International Trade Co (禾禾園國際貿易有限公司), Shen Yan Co (申元有限公司), Yun Fang Spice Processing Factory (永芳香料加工所), Sun Sheng Foods Co (順盛食品原料有限公司) and Mares International Trading Co (瑪爾氏國際貿易) were among the companies that issued recalls, in addition to a company that appeared to have used an unaffected batch of chili powder, Lin said.
Food safety officials are confident that all affected manufacturers and distributors have been identified and no tainted products are on store shelves, he said.
The Yunlin County Public Health Bureau has filed a criminal complaint with the Yunlin District Prosecutors’ Office, the FDA said.
The agency increased the test coverage of chili powder from China to all shipments after observing a surge in consignments that failed food safety standards, Lin said.
Eight months before the FDA imposed the new standards, 172 shipments of Chinese chili powder were imported into Taiwan, of which 98 were inspected and 24 failed tests, a failure rate of about 25 percent, he said.
The tainted powder that ended up in the supply chain was imported on Oct. 23 last year before the standards were enhanced, he said.
The use of Sudan reds in food is punishable by up to seven years in prison commutable to an NT$80 million (US$2.54 million) fine, FDA Director-General Wu Shou-mei (吳秀梅) said.
Importing a food product without valid documentation, including its point of origin, is punishable by a NT$200 million fine and the possible suspension of the affected product line or company, Wu said.
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