The government should examine oysters imported from Vietnam batch by batch after an initial inspection found residual inorganic arsenic exceeding acceptable levels, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) said on Friday.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it has flagged Vietnamese oysters as a category 2 inspection item.
Inspections conducted in March found that at least two batches of oysters had more than five times the acceptable level of residual inorganic arsenic, Lin said.
Photo: Chen Cheng-yu, Taipei Times
Domestic sellers started importing Vietnamese oysters in about 2017, as they have a higher profit margin than Taiwanese-grown oysters, he said.
Imports of Vietnamese oysters have increased from 150 tonnes in 2017 to 3,000 tonnes last year, while domestic oyster production dropped from 23,000 tonnes to 18,000 tonnes, he said.
Imported oysters do not have origin labels, and the public would find it difficult to identify the source of oysters if the government does not identify them as a potential threat to Taiwan’s food safety, Lin said.
Chronic consumption of inorganic arsenic can lead to organ failure, and arsenic poisoning is a common cause of blackfoot disease, he said.
FDA North Area Management Center Deputy Director-General Lin Hsu-yang (林旭陽) said that Taiwan has three separate inspection stages: source management, border inspections and domestic inspections.
All imported goods must arrive with a certificate from health authorities in the area of origin, he said.
Border inspections have three levels: routine, more frequent and batch-by-batch inspections, he said.
Vietnamese oysters are now listed as requiring more frequent inspections, he said.
FDA South Area Management Center Deputy Director-General Tsai Chia-fen (蔡佳芬) said the Executive Yuan has convened a cross-agency task force to investigate the issue, adding that the team is reaching out to importers and domestic oyster farmers.
Inspections of 107 farms and importers from December 2021 to December last year has not shown any evidence that importers were attempting to pass off imported Vietnamese oysters as raised in Taiwan, she said.
The FDA would continue to work with business owners and importers to label their products correctly, she said.
Fisheries Research Institute aquaculture processing division head Tsai Hui-chun (蔡慧君) said that Taiwanese-grown oysters were the same species as those from Vietnam and it is difficult to tell them apart.
The institute has established a data archive that could help analyze the oysters, which could provide a basis for the task force to tell local and imported oysters apart, she said.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS