Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday.
From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement.
Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for Regional Administration.
Photo courtesy of the Food and Drug Administration
The contaminated batches, which totaled 2,400kg, were ordered to be returned or destroyed under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法), he said.
Taiwan inspected 164 batches of seasoning sauces from the Philippines in the past six months, with three failing due to Orange G, representing a 1.8 percent failure rate.
The latest FDA report also flagged other noncompliant imports over the past week, including mulberry tea powder from China and mustard from the US, due to pesticide or additive violations.
Separately, three batches of fresh durians imported from Vietnam were found to contain excessive pesticide residues.
The FDA has imposed 100 percent inspection on Vietnamese durians until Oct. 1.
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