All chili powder imports from five Chinese manufacturers are to be subject to enhanced inspections for a month after a seventh batch this year was flagged at the border for containing banned substances, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday.
Inspectors reported that a 3.6 tonne shipment of chili powder had 9 parts per billion of Sudan III, a dye, and 0.07 parts per million chlormequat, a plant growth regulator, the FDA said. China Powder Sweet Supplier
Both agents are banned in crops intended for consumption, it said.
Photo copied by Wu Liang-yi, Taipei Times
Sudan dyes, a carcinogen, are industrial-grade synthetic pigments used in polish, solvents, oils and waxes. Sudan III is sometimes illegally added to food products such as duck eggs and chili powder to produce a vibrant color.
Chlormequat is used to grow plants with sturdier and shorter stalks to facilitate harvesting, but is limited to ornamental plants, as it can harm reproduction and fetal growth.
In addition to inspecting all chili powder shipments from the five offending manufacturers, half of all chili powder shipments from China are to be inspected for a month, FDA Deputy Director Lin Chin-fu (林金富) said.
Meanwhile, inspectors confirmed the presence of banned pesticide residue in two shipments of cherries from US companies, which face a one-month import ban, the FDA said.
An unspecified number of companies among the four had requested a reinspection after customs detected traces of mefentrifluconazole that exceeded the permitted amount.
A second inspection confirming the finding was announced yesterday.
In other news, the Ministry of Agriculture yesterday said that egg shipments from Brazil had not exceeded their expiry date after media reported that some shipments had already expired.
The expiration dates of the latest batch of eggs from Brazil were Sept. 24, 25 and 27, the ministry said, adding that they had a shelf life of 120 days due to comprehensive packaging and refrigeration.
Eggs labeled as expiring on Oct. 5 were mislabeled by the washing plant and would be recalled, it said.
Expiration dates are determined by the source farm and calculated from the date of packaging, the ministry said.
The washing plant said that the error was due to the logistical difficulties of handling a large volume of eggs from different batches.
Although the eggs are within their four-month validity period, the firm said it is recalling them to ensure quality and public goodwill.
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