The Ministry of Education yesterday ordered schools around Taiwan to stop using a brand of curry powder for nearly three months after it was found to contain the suspected banned dye Sudan I.
To ensure the safety of condiments used in school lunches and protect the health of teachers and students, the ministry said that it had issued a notice instructing schools to suspend use of "Flying Horse Special Mix Curry Powder" until Jan. 20.
Photo courtesy of the Hsinchu Department of Education
The curry powder produced by Chiseng Hong Ltd contains Sudan I, a suspected carcinogen that is banned in food products in Taiwan and elsewhere, the ministry said.
The product in question was confirmed to be tainted by turmeric powder imported from India, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said today.
Starting from yesterday, turmeric powder from India would be inspected for one year and only imported after passing inspection, the agency said.
If the product fails to pass inspection, it would be seized and destroyed, it added.
On Oct. 25, the New Taipei City Department of Health detected the product contained 7 parts per billion of Sudan I, FDA Northern Center Director Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智) said.
As of yesterday, 1,958 of the 5,253 boxes of the product sold in Taiwan had been recalled, Cheng said.
The FDA has referred Chiseng Hong to the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office for investigation, he added.
The ministry notice came as local education authorities — including those in Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung, Taichung and Taoyuan — issued similar bans within their own jurisdictions, with other cities and counties following suit.
While the notice means a nationwide ban on Flying Horse Special Mix Curry Powder in school meals, some local authorities — including Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan and Taichung — announced bans on all chili powders and curry powders in their jurisdictions.
The company responsible for manufacturing the curry powder mix, Chiseng Hong, issued a statement on Thursday last week expressing its "deepest apologies" for "causing concern to the public."
The company said it had recalled the products in question after the New Taipei City Department of Health informed it that "Sudan red" was suspected of being present in its Flying Horse Special Mix Curry Powder 600g product, which has an expiration date of May 6, 2026.
This followed a similar incident earlier this year, in which Sudan III was found in chili powder imported from China.
The tainted chili powder was also found in other seasoning items and processed food, including curry powder manufactured by Chiseng Hong, which led to a temporary ban of such items being used in school meals.
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