A shipment of imported cheese at Costco contained residual traces of ethylene oxide, but the wholesaler’s Kaohsiung branch warehouse reported that only 156.4kg remained, indicating that at least 756.6kg had been sold to the public.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last night said residual traces of the carcinogen had been found during an inspection on Monday last week of a shipment of 456.9kg of Formaggio-brand marinated mozzarella.
Ethylene oxide was detected at a concentration of about 1.407 parts per million (ppm), it said.
Photo courtesy of the Food and Drug Administration
By law, no ethylene oxide residue should be detected.
Manifests showed that Costco had imported another batch earlier, and the FDA asked the Kaohsiung City Government’s Department of Health to inspect the warehouse.
The inspection found that only 156.4kg of the 913.92kg that was imported remained, and the shipment was found to contain 1.277ppm of ethylene oxide, tests showed on Friday.
The FDA has asked Costco to remove the product from its shelves.
The Environmental Protection Administration’s Toxic and Chemical Substances Bureau lists ethylene oxide as a toxic chemical that poses a risk if inhaled or ingested due to its potential to cause severe irritation to the skin or eyes; cancer; genetic defects; and damage to the reproductive system and fetal development.
Short-term exposure to the substance can result in lung irritation, headaches, memory loss, numbness, nausea and vomiting.
According to the WHO, ethylene oxide is a Group 1 carcinogen — a designation for substances known to cause cancer — and long-term exposure to it can lead to a heightened risk of developing leukemia and breast cancer.
A small number of countries, including the US and Canada, allow the use of ethylene oxide as a sterilizing agent for sesame seeds and some kinds of spices.
Costo yesterday said that all Formaggio-brand marinated mozzarella had been removed from the shelves, as well as several other cheese products that it had tested itself and found to contain ethylene oxide.
Costco members are urged to call customer service if they have questions about any item sold by the company, it said.
Additional reporting with Kao Chia-ho
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