Supplier fined NT$8.4 million for selling meat expired for 14 years

Kaohsiung, July 12 (CNA) A frozen food supplier in Kaohsiung has been fined NT$8.4 million (US$258,181) for selling expired meat, with one of the items found to having expired 14 years previously, the city's Department of Health said in a statement released Friday.

The department said 11.4 tonnes of expired meat, including beef, chicken, duck meat, pork and goose meat, were found and seized during an inspection by the Ciaotou District Prosecutors Office on July 9.

It noted that 0.67 tonnes of goose meat, some of which expired on May 8, 2010, had expired for the longest period of time.

The company was also found to have mixed expired meat with fresh meat, then sold the mixed meat after relabeling, the department said.

With the findings, the city imposed an aggravated fine of NT$8.4 million on the company for violating the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, the statement said.

The city health department received a report about the supplier selling expired meat from a member of the public in early June, and turned the case over to prosecutors after a preliminary investigation, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) told reporters earlier Friday as being asked about the case.

According to the department, it has recalled all meat supplied by the company from four hotels and restaurants in Kaohsiung, including InterContinental Kaohsiung and Hotel dùa.

Details such as the dispatched dates, items and quantities, are currently under investigation by prosecutors.

In addition, prosecutors have also interrogated the company head, a man surnamed Hsieh (謝), and his wife surnamed Lin (林) whom they suspect of having committed the offenses of fraud and false labeling.

Hsieh and Lin were eventually released on bail of NT$400,000 and NT$200,000, respectively, after it was determined that placing them in detention was not necessary

Prosecutors continue to investigate the case, but as of press time the company had not been ordered to suspend operations.