Vietnamese chili powder blocked at border over toxic dye: TFDA

Taipei, March 18 (CNA) A shipment of chili powder imported from Vietnam has been blocked at Taiwan's border after testing positive for Sudan IV, an illegal dye, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) reported Tuesday.

The 7,500-kilogram batch, imported by Further Profit Trading Co., was destroyed after being tested on Feb. 17, as Taiwan prohibits any trace of the substance in food, the TFDA said at a weekly briefing.

According to TFDA statistics, two out of six batches of Vietnamese chili powder tested from Sept. 10, 2024, to March 10, 2025, did not pass inspections due to pesticide residues or the presence of Sudan dyes.

In response, TFDA Deputy Director-General Lin Chin-fu (林金富) said all Vietnamese chili powder imports will remain subject to strict screening for Sudan dyes until at least Feb. 26, 2026.

The TFDA's weekly report also flagged six other substandard imports, including a shipment of crispy peanuts from Indonesia that exceeded aflatoxin limits. The 630-kilogram batch will be either returned or destroyed, the agency said.