About 40 percent of a 1,000kg shipment of small yellow croaker imported from China containing the banned veterinary drug enrofloxacin has successfully been recalled, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday.
The shipment has been fully distributed to retail outlets around Taiwan, the FDA said.
Photo courtesy of Food and Drug Administration
Recall efforts were continuing, the agency said, but it was unclear how much of the shipment has been sold to end consumers.
Only the small yellow croaker from China tested positive out of 453 samples of poultry, livestock and aquatic products tested for drug residues by health authorities in March and April, the FDA said.
The batch was imported by A-Quan Frozen Aquatic Products Co in Tainan.
City authorities have fined the company NT$240,000 for contravening the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法), it said.
In Taiwan, the veterinary drug is approved for use in cattle, pigs and poultry, but not in aquatic products, FDA Central Center for Regional Administration Director Chen Tzu-ling (陳姿伶) said by phone.
In summer last year, a batch of frozen large yellow croaker imported from China by the same Tainan company also tested positive for enrofloxacin, Chen said.
Because this was the company's second violation within a year, the base fine was raised to NT$120,000, according to regulations, and the company's failure to conduct self-inspections as required only increased the fine further, to a total of NT$240,000, Chen said.
As a result of the recent non-compliance case, small yellow croaker imported from China would now be subject to a 20 to 50 percent inspection rate at the border, rather than the standard 2 to 10 percent, Chen said.
Enrofloxacin is a synthetic antibacterial agent. Excessive consumption may cause gastrointestinal discomfort and, in severe cases, could potentially impair kidney function, the FDA said.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan at 7pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter of the temblor was at sea, about 69.9km south of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 30.9km, it said. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County’s Changbin Township (長濱), where it measured 5 on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 4 in Hualien, Nantou, Chiayi, Yunlin, Changhua and Miaoli counties, as well as
Taiwan is to have nine extended holidays next year, led by a nine-day Lunar New Year break, the Cabinet announced yesterday. The nine-day Lunar New Year holiday next year matches the length of this year’s holiday, which featured six extended holidays. The increase in extended holidays is due to the Act on the Implementation of Commemorative and Festival Holidays (紀念日及節日實施條例), which was passed early last month with support from the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party. Under the new act, the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve is also a national holiday, and Labor Day would no longer be limited
COMMITMENTS: The company had a relatively low renewable ratio at 56 percent and did not have any goal to achieve 100 percent renewable energy, the report said Pegatron Corp ranked the lowest among five major final assembly suppliers in progressing toward Apple Inc’s commitment to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2030, a Greenpeace East Asia report said yesterday. While Apple has set the goal of using 100 percent renewable energy across its entire business, supply chain and product lifecycle by 2030, carbon emissions from electronics manufacturing are rising globally due to increased energy consumption, it said. Given that carbon emissions from its supply chain accounted for more than half of its total emissions last year, Greenpeace East Asia evaluated the green transition performance of Apple’s five largest final
Taiwan is to extend its visa-waiver program for Philippine passport holders for another year, starting on Aug. 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday. Lin made the announcement during a reception in Taipei marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision reflected Taiwan’s commitment to deepening exchanges with the Philippines, the statement cited Lin as saying, adding that it was a key partner under the New Southbound Policy launched in 2016. Lin also expressed hope