Imported mayonnaise blocked at border over excessive preservatives

Taipei, June 24 (CNA) A batch of mayonnaise imported from Spain by the hypermarket chain Carrefour was blocked at the border for containing preservatives exceeding permitted levels, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) said Tuesday.

The batch, totaling 108 kilograms, has been ordered to be returned or destroyed in accordance with regulations, and did not enter the country, according to the TFDA.

The mayonnaise, branded "Helios," was found to contain 1.7 grams of sorbic acid per kilogram, meaning the preservative amount exceeded the legal limit of 1.0g/kg, Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the TFDA's Northern Center for Regional Administration, told CNA by phone.

The importer was unable to provide documentation proving either the permitted usage of the preservative or evidence that it was of natural origin, according to Cheng.

Since this was the importer's first violation, Carrefour will face an increased inspection rate of 20-50 percent at the border for the product, up from routine random checks of 2-10 percent, Cheng said.

The batch was among six shipments that failed inspections at the border, according to the list of non-compliant imports released Tuesday.

Other problematic imports included a batch of PVC tubing for food, beverages and dairy imported from the United States by Botrista Inc., which failed tests for excess evaporated residue levels, as well as French frozen red currant clusters and Indonesian fish cakes, which were found to have excessive pesticide residues or other violations.