Several imported food items, including tea and coffee beans, were recently blocked at the border after they were found to contain excessive pesticide residue and other contaminants, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday.
The 23 items that failed inspection included a 3kg shipment of green tea powder from Japan, branded as matcha, which was imported by Taipei-based Sunrise Logistics Co, the FDA said.
The tea was found to contain 0.08 parts per million (ppm) of the insecticide thiacloprid, it said, adding that the maximum allowed residue level is 0.05 ppm.
Photo: CNA
Another tea product, Jonetsu Kakaku green tea leaves, also imported from Japan by the same company, was found to contain residue of the pesticide flubendiamide, which is banned in Taiwan, the FDA said.
A shipment of 200kg of Kaldi Coffee Farm-branded coffee beans from Japan, which originated in Brazil, also failed a safety inspection because of excessive pesticide residue, it said.
Among the other food products recently denied entry to Taiwan were fresh oysters from Vietnam and black tea from India, Vietnam and Germany, due to excessive levels of pesticide and heavy metals, the FDA said.
A shipment of plastic food containers from China was also rejected because they contained high levels of a bleaching agent, it said.
The rejected products would either be destroyed or returned to the countries of origin, the FDA added.
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