The Taipei Department of Health’s latest inspection of fresh fruit and vegetables sold in local markets revealed a 25 percent failure rate, with most contraventions involving excessive pesticide residues, while two durians were also found to contain heavy metal cadmium at levels exceeding safety limits.
Health Food and Drug Division Director Lin Kuan-chen (林冠蓁) yesterday said the agency routinely conducts inspections of fresh produce sold at traditional markets, supermarkets, hypermarkets, retail outlets and restaurants, testing for pesticide residues and other harmful substances.
In its most recent inspection, conducted in May, the department randomly collected 52 samples from various locations, with testing showing that 13 items failed to meet safety standards, Lin said.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Department of Health
The failed items included three samples of garlic chive flowers, two each of Thai basil and celery, and one sample each of green garlic, wax apple, cowpea and mango — all of which were found to contain one or more pesticides exceeding legal limits, she said.
Additionally, two durians were found to contain cadmium at levels above the permissible threshold, she added.
Aside from mangoes and durians, the failed items were all classified as high-risk agricultural products, which are more prone to containing excessive pesticide residues, she said.
High-risk agricultural products are identified based on past inspection data from the Food and Drug Administration and the Ministry of Agriculture, and are subject to increased inspection frequency, the department said.
Following the latest inspection, the department has instructed vendors to remove the noncompliant items from shelves and has notified local health departments about the sources of some of the affected products, Lin said.
The department also informed Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corp (TAPMC) to suspend the supply of the failed fruit or vegetable items from the farmer for 10 days, and that the inspection rate of the failed items would be increased in future inspections.
If the item fails inspection for a second time, the farmer would be suspended from supplying it to TAPMC for a month, and if it fails for the third time, the farmer’s qualification for supplying that item would be revoked, she said.
Meanwhile, as a suspected food poisoning case was reported among 17 members of the Taipei Beitou Junior High School female softball team last week, Lin also urged the public to pay special attention to food safety, especially during the hot summer season, to avoid food poisoning.
People should also check packaging for damage and ensure proper food storage: Refrigerated foods should be kept between 0°C and 7°C, frozen foods below minus-18°C and hot foods above 60°C, and also avoid cross-contamination with raw or undercooked food, Lin said.
Lin advised purchasing food from reputable manufacturers and avoiding consumption of undercooked food and beverages.
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