Taipei: About 40 percent of a 1,000-kilogram shipment of small yellow croaker imported from China containing the banned veterinary drug enrofloxacin has successfully been recalled, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) reported Monday.

According to Focus Taiwan, the 1,000-kilo shipment has been fully distributed to retail outlets around Taiwan. Recall efforts were continuing, but it was unclear how much of the shipment has been sold to end consumers. Only the small yellow croaker from China tested positive out of 453 samples of poultry, livestock, and aquatic products tested for drug residues by health authorities in March and April.

The batch was imported by A-Quan Frozen Aquatic Products Co. in Tainan. City authorities have fined the company NT$240,000 (US$8,002.82) for violating the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation. In Taiwan, the veterinary drug is approved for use in cattle, pigs, and poultry but not in aquatic products, TFDA Central Center for Regional Administration Director Chen Tzu-ling told CNA by phone.

In the summer of 2024, a batch of frozen large yellow croaker imported from China by the same Tainan company also tested positive for enrofloxacin. Because this was the company’s second violation within a year, the base fine was raised to NT$120,000, and the company’s failure to conduct self-inspections as required only increased the fine further, to a total of NT$240,000.

As a result of the recent non-compliance case, small yellow croaker imported from China will now be subject to a 20-50 percent inspection rate at the border, rather than the standard 2-10 percent. Enrofloxacin is a synthetic antibacterial agent. Excessive consumption may cause gastrointestinal discomfort and, in severe cases, could potentially impair kidney function, according to the TFDA.