Taipei: Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) revealed that out of 716 fruit and vegetable products tested from January to February as part of a pesticide residue monitoring program, 102 were found to be non-compliant, including imported strawberries.

According to Focus Taiwan, a particular strawberry sample from Mia C’bon’s store in Yonghe District’s Beyond Plaza was discovered to contain 0.06 parts per million (ppm) of the pesticide acrinathrin. Under Taiwanese law, no acrinathrin residue is permitted on strawberries.

Breeze Super in Taipei was also found selling strawberries containing several banned or misused pesticides, including 1.26 ppm of isopyrazam and 0.31 ppm of norflurazon, both of which are prohibited. Another sample from Lopia’s Chunri Road store in Taoyuan contained 0.44 ppm of isopyrazam.

Wei Jen-ting, director of the TFDA’s Southern Center, stated that the suppliers of these strawberries were fined between NT$60,000 (US$1,972) and NT$240,000. Chian Her Fruit Co., the supplier for Breeze Super, received the heaviest penalty due to a previous violation within the past year.

The TFDA recommended that consumers prioritize seasonal produce and opt for fruits and vegetables with organic, certified agricultural standards (CAS), or traceability certifications. The agency also advised rinsing fruits and vegetables under running water before cutting and peeling them.