High levels of pesticide found in Taitung food poisoning samples

Taipei, Sept. 20 (CNA) Excessively high levels of terbufos, a hazardous chemical compound found in some pesticides, have been detected in food samples suspected of causing food poisoning that left three people dead earlier this week in Taitung County, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) said on Friday.

The suspected food poisoning was traced back to the death of an 83-year-old woman identified by her surname Tseng (曾), who died after eating some of the millet dumplings she had made on Tuesday.

That evening, several relatives and friends who came to mourn her death and ate the leftover dumplings and other items in Tseng's kitchen later exhibited symptoms such as vomiting and convulsions.

Two of them died, six were placed in intensive care, and three others received medical treatment the following day, according to the latest hospital count.

TFDA data showed that the concentration of terbufos found in the millet used to make the dumplings reached 405 milligrams per kilogram, while the concentrations found in other ingredients such as leaves, pork, snails, and bamboo shoots were 150 mg/kg, 60 mg/kg, 42 mg/kg, and 32 mg/kg, respectively.

Those readings were significantly higher than market tests from the past three years, the agency said.

According to the TFDA, a total of 12,390 pesticide tests for terbufos were conducted in the market from 2022 to July 2024, with 41 instances of terbufos detected, resulting in a detection rate of 0.33 percent.

Among the problematic food, 11 samples exceeded the standard, with concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 0.51 mg/kg.

Meanwhile, the TFDA's test on Friday ruled out the presence of fipronil, an insecticide.

Health inspectors and local police had discovered an open pack of the material in Tseng's kitchen during their investigation of the incident.

Investigations by the relevant authorities including police and prosecutors into the Taitung case are still ongoing.