Sea urchins from Japanese restaurant chain fail food safety check

Taipei, Feb. 18 (CNA) A shipment of frozen sea urchins imported from Chile by a Japanese restaurant chain operator have been blocked at Taiwan's border due to excessive levels of cadmium, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) reported on Tuesday.

The 40-kilogram batch, imported by Zensho Taiwan Co., Ltd., which operates Sukiya and Hama Sushi Taiwan, was processed in accordance with regulations, which involves either returning it to Chile or destroying it at the border, the TFDA said.

According to TFDA Acting Director-General Lin Chin-fu (林金富), the batch reported on Jan. 3 was found to contain 0.5 milligrams per kilogram of cadmium, exceeding the legal limit of 0.3 mg/kg for seafood.

As a result of this violation, enhanced inspections will be conducted on the company's future shipments, replacing the routine random checks previously applied, Lin told reporters.

However, since only one out of 11 batches of Chilean sea urchins imported over the past six months failed the inspection, no additional restrictions or special regulatory measures will be imposed for Chilean sea urchins at this stage, he said.

The TFDA's weekly report also identified 15 other substandard food products -- including Egyptian basil leaves, Indian groundnut kernels, and Vietnamese soft peanut candies -- which were found to exceed pesticide residue limits or have other safety concerns.