Tainted U.S. seasonings, Indonesian ground pepper stopped at border

Taipei, Oct. 29 (CNA) Two types of seasoning from the United States and ground pepper from Indonesia were among eight imported food items rejected for containing excessive levels of pesticides or banned substances, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) said on Tuesday.

Two U.S. seasonings -- Solina's ranch seasoning and Cajun Southwest Spice -- imported by the Taipei branch of Hasmore Limited (H.K.) -- were listed by the TFDA in its weekly report of substandard imports intercepted at Taiwan's border most recently.

The two shipments, weighing 133.1 kilograms, were found to contain banned carcinogen ethylene oxide at levels of 21.9 ppm and 13.9 ppm, TFDA Deputy Director-General Lin Chin-fu (林金富) told reporters.

The problematic products will be destroyed or returned to their country of origin.

It is the second time in two weeks that the food group, which operates the Michelin-star restaurants RAW and Nagi in Taiwan, has imported food items tainted with the same banned substance.

Given the repeat incidences, the company's imports will be subject to item-by-item inspection, Lin said.

Over the past six months, 334 batches of U.S. seasonings shipped into Taiwan by various companies had been inspected at the border, with 22, or 6.6 percent of the total, falling short of the TFDA's criteria.

Most of them were rejected for being contaminated with ethylene oxide, prompting a full inspection on all such shipments from the U.S. through Feb. 11, 2025, according to the administration.

Meanwhile, a 306-kg batch of ground white pepper imported by ASEAN VIP International Trading Co., Ltd. from Indonesia was stopped for containing excessive pesticide residues of thiamethoxam and fipronil at 0.06 ppm and 0.003 ppm, respectively.

In addition, a 64-kg shipment of fresh melons imported by Mugo Fruit & Fish from Hokkaido in Japan was also found substandard for being laced with banned pesticide cyenopyrafen at a level of 0.01 ppm.

Lin said inspection of the goods from the two importers will be increased, while all their problematic imports will be destroyed or returned to their country of origin.