American seasoned salt rejected at border after carcinogen detected

Taipei, Aug. 6 (CNA) A batch of seasoned salt imported from the United States found to contain a cancer-causing chemical banned in Taiwan was subsequently rejected at the border, Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) said Tuesday.

The shipment of Jane's Krazy Mixed-up Salt was intercepted after sample testing conducted in late June detected the presence of ethylene oxide, the TFDA said.

The seasoned salt was found to contain 4.1 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) of ethylene oxide, and the 2.4 kg batch will be returned to its country of origin or destroyed, the administration said.

According to TFDA Deputy Director-General Lin Chin-fu (林金富), ethylene oxide has been classified as carcinogenic to humans by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Currently, most countries use it for the disinfection and sterilization of medical devices, with only a few allowing it to be used for fumigation and pest control treatment of dry spices, he said.

Based on information on the Ministry of Environment's website, ethylene oxide is a toxic chemical substance that if swallowed or inhaled, could cause skin and severe eye irritation, as well as the risk of cancer, genetic disorder and damage to fertility.

From Jan. 29 to July 29 this year, Taiwan inspected 360 batches of imported American condiments and seasoning, and 11 failed to meet safety standards, all due to ethylene oxide, the TFDA said.

The non-compliance rate is 3.1 percent.

It added that the random inspection rate for those U.S. items will be maintained at 20-50 percent until the end of this year.

According to Lin, the strictest measure of 100 percent batch-by-batch inspections will be implemented if the total non-compliance in the past six months involves five or more importers or manufacturers and the non-compliance rate is higher than in the same period in the previous year.