Taipei: A batch of wine vinegar imported from France has been halted at customs after being found to contain excessive amounts of sulfur dioxide, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) said Tuesday. The 450-kilogram batch was imported by the chain hypermarket Carrefour and was detected with 0.107 g/kg of sulfur dioxide, exceeding the legal limit of 0.03 g/kg. Consequently, it was returned or destroyed at the border in accordance with relevant regulations, the TFDA stated.
According to Focus Taiwan, Cheng Wei-chih, head of the TFDA’s Northern Center for Regional Administration, explained that sulfur dioxide is used as an antioxidant, bleach, and preservative. It also enhances the appearance of the product by stopping fermentation and preventing red wine from becoming too dark. As a result of this incident, the importer will now be subject to 20-50 percent inspection at the border, rather than the standard 2-10 percent.
Meanwhile, a batch of barley grass powder from China, imported by TCI Co., Ltd., was also stopped at the border for containing residues of the banned pesticide fluroxypyr-meptyl, according to the TFDA. The company’s imports are now subject to batch-by-batch inspection, Cheng mentioned.
In another case, a batch of fresh kumquats imported from Japan was intercepted for containing the banned pesticide flubendiamide. The importer, Tong Ho Fruit Co., Ltd., will face 100 percent inspection of its imports, Cheng added.
The TFDA reported that 381 batches of citrus fruits were inspected at the border from August 17 to February 17, with 26 batches, or 6.8 percent, failing inspections due to pesticide residues. Citrus fruits from Japan will undergo 100 percent inspection until March 24, 2025, Cheng stated.
Other intercepted imports listed by the TFDA on Tuesday include produce and spices from Japan, Egypt, Indonesia, Chile, China, and India, all of which were found to contain excessive pesticide residues or heavy metals. Additionally, a batch of straws from China was halted for failure to pass dissolution tests, according to the TFDA.