Indian paprika coloring destroyed at border for containing toxic dye

Taipei, June 18 (CNA) A total of 200 kilograms of paprika food coloring imported from India was destroyed at Taiwan's border after testing positive for Sudan IV, a toxic dye banned in Taiwan for use in foodstuffs, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) said Tuesday.

The batch of coloring, Paprika Oleoreson 40,000 O/S free methanol, was imported by Yih Yuan Food Co., Ltd. The company's imports will now be subjected to batch-by-batch inspections, TFDA Deputy Director-General Lin Chin-fu (林金富) said.

Due to the Sudan dye incident in early 2024 -- when the banned dyes were discovered in chili powder ingredients and their presence confirmed in food products at restaurants and grocery stores across the country -- Lin said any imported food found to contain the dyes would be destroyed.

This was the first batch of food coloring from India with the same harmonized system code that failed customs inspections in the last six months, said Lin.

Lin added that the TFDA will also conduct batch-by-batch tests on all paprika food coloring imported from India between May 24, 2024 and May 23, 2025.

A total of 13 food or other items failed inspections and have been destroyed or returned over the past week, according to TFDA data released Tuesday.

These items included black pepper imported from Malaysia, fresh celery from Vietnam, mung beans from Myanmar, and mikan from Japan which all contained pesticide residue exceeding acceptable limits.

Moreover, a batch of frozen fish from China was found to contain excessive amounts of lead, while salted bamboo shoots from China and deer placenta powder from Australia were found to contain excessive amounts of bleaching agent.

Other items included potato chips from Malaysia that contained a prohibited sweetener, a batch of echinacea purpurea extract from China, and a batch of shrimp chips from Indonesia that contained banned preservatives.

Furthermore, wooden clamps from China were seized after failing dissolution tests.