No expired imported eggs were found to have entered the domestic market, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday, adding that it would initiate an inspection of more than 50 liquid egg processing factories in the nation within a week.
Facing a shortage of eggs earlier this year, the Ministry of Agriculture introduced a special egg import program to maintain steady supply at reasonable prices, but it has stirred controversy, including speculation on how local egg importers were decided and whether 54 million expired eggs were properly disposed of.
A case of imported eggs with an incorrect expiration date were recalled last week.
Photo courtesy of the New Taipei City Department of Health
Minister of Agriculture Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) on Tuesday apologized for the disturbance caused to the public surrounding the egg import program and in the evening announced that he would resign from his post, but stated that the government was right in initiating the program.
FDA Deputy Director Lin Chin-fu (林金富) yesterday said the agency together with local health departments had inspected shell eggs and their labels at retailers nationwide from Thursday last week to Tuesday.
All 1,533 items passed the inspection, while 50 specimens had been sent for tests for veterinary drug residues, Lin said.
The FDA and the ministry on Tuesday began inspecting egg-washing factories. Among the six factories inspected on the first day, one had imported eggs from Thailand, but no abnormalities were detected at any of the factories, Lin said.
All of the imported eggs were tested batch-by-batch at border inspections, and those that failed the inspection were returned or disposed of, so they did not enter the domestic market, he said, adding that inspections at retailers by local health departments had not found any expired eggs.
INCORRECT EXPIRY DATES
Although there was a case of mislabeled imported eggs (eggs that are to expire late this month were labeled as expiring early next month), they still have a shelf life, so after paying a penalty, the company can still sell the eggs with the correct expiration dates or use them as liquid egg or for food products, Lin said.
The FDA yesterday would have completed an inspection of 13 storage locations, where the Ministry of Agriculture said the expired imported eggs are being stored, he said.
The inspections focused on whether the expired eggs are clearly marked and stored separately, and the refrigerated storage temperature, he said.
Meanwhile, the New Taipei City Department of Health yesterday said a liquid egg company in the city was found to have mixed eggs imported from three nations — Turkey, Brazil and the US — with domestic eggs and falsely labeled the liquid eggs as made in Taiwan between June and last month.
The liquid eggs were sold to three catering companies that service 13 schools, as well as 20 bakeries and other food processing companies in Taoyuan and New Taipei City, New Taipei City Deputy Mayor Liu He-jan (劉和然) said, adding that the eggs were not expired, but mislabeled.
NOT ILLEGAL
Lin said that mixing eggs from different countries of origin as liquid egg is not illegal, but the company must list the nations according to the regulations, from the highest proportion to the lowest proportion.
The FDA would also initiate an inspection of the more than 50 liquid egg processing companies nationwide within the next week and advise them on the correct labeling methods, he said.
Additional reporting by CNA
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
POLICY UNCHANGED? Despite Trump’s remarks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured that US policy toward Taiwan has remained consistent since the 1970s US President Donald Trump on Wednesday again refused to make clear his stance on protecting Taiwan from a hypothetical takeover by China during his presidency. Asked by a reporter during a Cabinet meeting whether it was his policy that China would never take Taiwan by force while he is president, Trump declined to give a definitive answer. “I never comment on that,” he said. “I don’t comment on it because I don’t want to ever put myself in that position.” Trump also reiterated that he has a “great relationship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and said that Washington welcomes good relations with
RSS