Orders given to remove chili powder from shelves after carcinogenic dye found

Taipei, Feb. 8 (CNA) Instructions to remove a brand of chili powder produced by a food maker in Yunlin County from store shelves across Taiwan were given Thursday after it was discovered to contain a carcinogenic dye.

According to the Yunlin Public Health Bureau, the red chili powder from Chiseng Co. Ltd. (濟生股份有限公司) was found to contain 18 parts per billion (ppb) of Sudan III, an industrial dye that is not allowed in food products.

On Thursday, the Taipei Department of Health said it was alerted to the matter by the Yunlin health authority Wednesday night and immediately ordered the removal of the product from store shelves.

A total of 11,824 bottles of Chiseng chili powder carried by PX Mart stores around the country, including 1,091 bottles in Taipei, have so far been pulled from shelves, according to the department.

Orders have also been given to remove the product in other parts of the country, including Hsinchu City and Hsinchu and Miaoli counties.

According to the Hsinchu County government, long-term consumption of the Sudan dye could result in toxic damage to the liver and kidneys, and may even increase the risk of cancer.

Sudan I, Sudan III, and Sudan IV have been classified as category 3 carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.