Substandard chicken seasoning imported for KFC stopped at border

Taipei, Sept. 24 (CNA) Taiwanese officials have found that a shipment of chicken seasoning imported from Thailand for the fast food chain KFC contained the banned pesticide ethylene oxide and stopped it from entering Taiwan's borders.

The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) published a list of 11 items Tuesday that were found to be substandard after being inspected at the border in recent months.

Among them was a shipment of 2,024.42 kilograms of chicken seasoning from Thailand in which 0.1 mg/kg of the banned pesticide ethylene oxide was found during testing that began on July 22, according to the TFDA.

TFDA Deputy Director-General Lin Chin-fu (林金富) said the importer of the spices, Jardine Food Services (Taiwan) Co., Ltd., which operates both KFC and Pizza Hut in Taiwan, will now be subject to batch-by-batch inspections of its imported ingredients.

The products imported by Jardine were previously under a heightened inspection rate of 50 percent, up from the customary 20 percent, Lin said.

Condiments and spices imported from Thailand by other companies will also continue to be inspected at the higher frequency until the end of 2024, Lin said.

The other items on Tuesday's list were tested between July 2 and Sept. 6.

Among them was a shipment of 1,312.5 kg of banana chips imported from the Philippines that was found to contain excessive amounts of the toxic substance benzopyrene and prohibited from entering Taiwan, according to related regulations.

Items brought into Taiwan by the importer, Asean Vip International Trading Co., Ltd., will now be subject to 100 percent inspection, while other similar products imported from the Philippines by other companies will be subject to regular inspections, Lin said.

Benzopyrene is a contaminant generated when food is processed improperly, such as being overheated or burned, Lin said.

The other nine items on the list included spices, produce, canned food and plastic knives, which were rejected for containing excessive pesticide residue, heavy metals, or bleach, or failing dissolution tests, according to the TFDA.