A shipment of chili powder imported from Vietnam has been blocked at the border after testing positive for Sudan IV, an illegal dye, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said today.
The 7,500kg batch, imported by Further Profit Trading Co, was destroyed after being tested on Feb. 17, as Taiwan prohibits any trace of the substance in food, the FDA told a weekly briefing.
Photo courtesy of the Food and Drug Administration
According to FDA statistics, two out of six batches of Vietnamese chili powder tested from Sept. 10 last year to Monday last week did not pass inspections due to pesticide residues or the presence of Sudan dyes.
In response, FDA Deputy Director-General Lin Chin-fu (林金富) said all Vietnamese chili powder imports would remain subject to strict screening for Sudan dyes until at least Feb. 26 next year.
The FDA's weekly report also flagged six other substandard imports, including a shipment of crispy peanuts from Indonesia that exceeded aflatoxin limits.
The 630kg batch would be either returned or destroyed, the agency said.
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