Spices from Egypt destroyed at border for containing toxic dye

Taipei, Sept. 18 (CNA) A batch of coriander powder imported from Egypt has been intercepted and destroyed at the border for containing banned toxic dyes Sudan I and IV, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) said Wednesday.

The 1,500 kilograms of imported spice marked the second consecutive week that spices imported from Egypt were found to contain the banned substance, said the TFDA.

As a result, related products imported from Egypt are subject to batch-by-batch inspections at the border until Aug. 26, 2025, the TFDA said.

Meanwhile, a batch of round drain baskets from China was found to contain 33 parts-per-million (ppm) of n-Heptanean evaporation residue in its dissolution test, exceeding the legal limit of 30ppm according to the Sanitation Standard for Food Utensils, Containers and Packages, the TFDA said.

According to the TFDA, 674 batches of polypropylene utensils and kitchenware imported from China were inspected between March 9 and Sep. 9, with 4 batches failing Taiwanese standards.

In a telephone interview, TFDA Deputy Director-General Lin Chin-fu (林金富) told CNA that such imports will be subject to 100 percent inspection until the end of 2024.

Also disclosed by the TFDA in the list of imports intercepted at the border were 15 other items.

These included fruits and produce from Japan, Vietnam, China and South Korea as well as spice from Spain that contained excessive pesticide residue. Salt imported from France and truffles from Italy were also stopped for excessive traces of heavy metal.

The imports have all been returned or destroyed according to regulations, according to the TFDA.