More than 4,000 boxes of carrot cookies are being recalled across the country, after the Miaoli County Public Health Bureau on Saturday reported that the product used chili powder that contained a banned industrial dye.
Earlier this month, food products were found to contain chili powder with the carcinogenic Sudan III dye. The New Taipei City Department of Health found that the chili powder was imported by Bao Hsin Enterprises Co (保欣企業) from Sanhe Drug Co (三禾藥業) in China’s Henan Province.
The chili powder was supplied to food product manufacturers and distributors across the country, and local health departments have over the past week been testing food products for Sudan III.
Photo courtesy of the Miaoli County Public Health Bureau
The Miaoli County Public Health Bureau said it received a notice from the Changhua County Public Health Bureau on Friday evening saying that a wholesaler in the city had on Dec. 25 last year supplied dehydrated chili powder mixed with chili powder from Bao Hsin (with an expiration date of Oct. 12, 2026) to Hsin Hao Food Co Ltd (鑫豪食品) in Miaoli County.
The Miaoli bureau inspected Hsin Hao Food on Saturday morning. It found that the company had received 255kg of the tainted chili powder on Jan. 4, and had already used 116.5kg of it in its 30g, 65g and 110g packs of carrot cookies and 7g packs of white pepper sticks (白胡椒棒).
The two products are sold under the trademark “Black Bear” (黑熊).
The Miaoli bureau said 2,338 boxes of carrot cookies and 39 barrels of unpackaged white pepper sticks weighing 900g each were found at the company, the bureau said, adding that they were sealed on site and Hsin Hao Food was banned from shipping them.
The 110g packages of carrot cookies are only sold at supermarket chain PX Mart Co and 1,802 boxes have been delivered, while the 30g and 65g packages are sold to food distributors and 2,500 boxes have been delivered, it said.
As for the white pepper sticks, 192 boxes have been delivered, it said.
The Miaoli bureau said it has obtained a list of downstream companies and has ordered the company to inform them that the products must be recalled, adding that 138.5kg of the tainted chili powder was also sealed on site and would be returned to the supplier.
The Taipei Department of Health yesterday said that PX Mart reported that it had removed 16,992 packages of 110g carrot cookies, from all batches, from its shelves as of noon yesterday, including 1,474 bags from PX Mart branches in Taipei.
It said it has asked PX Mart to put up a notice in its stores, informing consumers not to eat the product if they have purchased it and that they can receive a refund if they have a receipt.
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