U.S. spring wheat shipment rejected due to toxin contamination: TFDA

Taipei, Oct. 14 (CNA) Some 1,228 metric tons of spring wheat imported from the United States have been seized at the Taiwan border after the product was found to contain excessive levels of a harmful fungal toxin known to cause kidney damage, Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) said Tuesday.

The shipment, imported by 10 local companies from the same American manufacturer in early September, was found to contain 7 micrograms of ochratoxin A per kilogram -- exceeding the legal limit of 5 micrograms per kg, the TFDA said, adding that it has issued an order for all of the contaminated wheat to be returned or destroyed.

Ochratoxin A can impair kidney function and may also cause acute renal failure or kidney tissue damage if consumed in high amounts, according to the agency.

Liu Fang-ming (劉芳銘), director of the TFDA's Northern Taiwan Management Center, said the wheat arrived in bulk on a cargo vessel and was stored in four separate holds.

Although only one hold tested above the legal limit for ochratoxin A, the entire shipment was rejected because inspectors could not determine which importer had purchased the contaminated batch, Liu said.

The 10 importers, all first-time offenders, will now be subject to stricter inspections, with the random inspection rate raised from 20 percent to 50 percent for future shipments, according to Liu.

Other rejected products in the latest inspection list included fresh durians from Vietnam and frozen grouper fillets from the Philippines, which tested positive for excessive pesticide and heavy metal residues, respectively, the TFDA said.