TFDA lists tricks for picking treats as Halloween nears

Taipei, Oct. 23 (CNA) The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) on Wednesday reminded the public to carefully check the labels of Halloween treats for potential allergens when out trick-or-treating on Oct. 31.

The health ministry has established allergen labeling regulations for packaged foods, requiring items that contain any of the 11 ingredients that may trigger allergic reactions to have clear warnings displayed in Chinese on the outer packaging, Shiau Huei-wen (蕭惠文), deputy director of TFDA's Food Safety Division, told a news conference.

The 11 ingredients include crustaceans, sesame, milk, goat milk, fish, mango, eggs, gluten-containing grains, peanuts, nuts, and soybeans, Shiau said.

If a food product uses sulfite additives during production and has sulfur dioxide residue exceeding 10 milligrams per kilogram, it must also have an allergen label, she added.

Asked for suggestions for consumers who do not understand Chinese, TFDA Deputy Director-General Lin Chin-fu (林金富) said that all packaged foods manufactured in Taiwan, including confectionary, must have labels in Chinese.

Imported items can retain their original labels in foreign languages but must also have Chinese in the labeling section, Lin added.

Lin suggested that non-Chinese-speaking consumers check the outer packaging of food products, as it may include labels in foreign languages or images of allergens.

Anny Hou (侯沂錚), a dietitian at Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, said that added sugar intake should not exceed 10 percent of total daily calorie intake.

If a child aged 4 to 6 consumes around a total of 1,800 calories per day, then the recommended added sugar limit for the child should be about 180 calories, equivalent to nine sugar cubes, she added.

Meanwhile, Lin mentioned that the TFDA has reviewed all online shopping platforms in Taiwan and requested they stop selling "wax candy" products from China.

Deputy Health Minister Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀) previously said that "wax candy" -- candies with an outer layer of wax wrapped around jam or syrup -- raised food safety concerns. She advised consumers to exercise caution before purchasing those products, as it remains uncertain whether they contain illegal additives.

Lin Chin-fu further noted on Wednesday that over the past three years, "not a single 'wax candy' product from China has undergone customs declaration and inspection at Taiwan's borders," indicating that all "wax candy" products found in the Taiwanese market have been imported illegally.

For those who bought "wax candy" products on foreign platforms like Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) through parallel imports for personal use, he said that the TFDA's regulations do not apply to such purchases.

"We can only urge consumers not to buy products that have not undergone official inspection," he added.