U.S. seasoning rejected at Taiwan's border after carcinogen detected

Taipei, Oct. 15 (CNA) Two types of seasoning imported from the United State have been seized at the border after they were found to contain a banned carcinogen, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) said Tuesday.

The U.S. shipments containing Solina's ranch and char seasonings did not meet import criteria because they contained traces of ethylene oxide, the TFDA said.

The items, imported by the Taipei branch of Hasmore Limited (H.K.), were found to contain 2.7 milligrams per kilogram and 15 mg/kg of ethylene oxide, the administration said.

Ethylene oxide is classified as carcinogenic to humans by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer.

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

TFDA Deputy Director-General Lin Chin-fu (林金富) told CNA the shipment of seasoning products, weighing a combined total of 68.5 kg, will be returned to the country of origin or destroyed for containing traces of ethylene oxide, which is banned in Taiwan.

It is the second time in recent months that Hasmore, a business group that operates the Michelin-star restaurants RAW and Nagi in Taiwan, has imported food items tainted with the same banned carcinogen, Lin said.

From April 7 to Oct. 7 this year, Taiwan inspected 328 batches of various imported American seasonings, 17 of which failed to meet safety standards.

According to the TFDA, 100 percent of all batches of the imported U.S. items in question will continue to be inspected until Feb. 11, 2025.

Meanwhile, eight other items were listed by the TFDA on Tuesday as having been rejected at the border in recent weeks include black pepper from Vietnam, pickled garlic from Thailand as well as three types of chili powder from China.

The Chinese chili powder imported by Taichung-based Sheng Wen Medicine Development Co. were all found to contain traces of chlormequat -- a pesticide that can be used as a plant growth regulator -- and the chemical substance MCPA, both of which are banned for use in food in Taiwan.

The TFDA said those items imported by the company from China will also remain subject to batch-by-batch inspections at the border until further notice.