Taiwan has blocked 1,000kg of black sesame seeds imported from China after tests found excessive levels of the heavy metal cadmium, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said today.
The seeds, imported by Yao Xi Limited Taiwan Branch, were found to contain 0.2 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) of cadmium, said Liu Fang-ming (劉芳銘), director of the FDA's Northern Taiwan Management Center.
Under the Sanitation Standards for Contaminants and Toxins in Food (食品中污染物質及毒素衛生標準), no more than 0.1mg/kg of cadmium is permitted in the "other cereal grains" category, Liu said, adding that the shipment has been ordered returned or destroyed.
Photo courtesy of the Food and Drug Administration
It was the second time in six months that sesame seeds brought in by the company, which operates the Michelin-recognized Hong Kong dessert brand KaiKai Dessert, failed safety inspections, the FDA said.
As a result, its sesame imports would now be sampled on a batch-by-batch basis, it said.
Other products from the same importer would continue to be subject to standard inspections, Liu said.
The FDA also disclosed several other imports intercepted at the border, including fresh nectarines from Chile and a liquid dietary supplement from Germany.
The fruit-flavored supplement, branded CH-Alpha PLUS, was found to contain 0.9 grams per kilogram (g/kg) of the preservative sorbic acid, exceeding the legal limit of 0.5 g/kg.
The importer was found to have had two non-compliant shipments within six months and would now be subject to batch-by-batch inspections, Liu said.
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