TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA, 農業部) on Thursday (April 24) tightened pet food safety standards by reducing the permissible level of mercury from 0.4 ppm to 0.3 ppm and introducing limits for five mycotoxins. The ministry revised the "Standards for types and tolerance levels of pathogenic microorganisms and health-hazard materials in pet food" (寵物食品病原微生物與有害健康物質種類及安全容許量標準) to enhance pet food safety.
The new mycotoxin limits include vomitoxin at 2 ppm for dogs and 5 ppm for cats, fumonisin at 5 ppm, zearalenone at 0.2 ppm, ochratoxin at 0.01 ppm, and T2 toxin at 0.05 ppm for cats. Chen Chung-hsing (陳中興), deputy director of the Department of Animal Welfare (動物保護司), noted the increasing international scrutiny on mercury levels in pet food. He said the updated standards align with those in the European Union and other countries.
Chen emphasized that if tests confirm violations of these standards, local governments will impose fines ranging from NT$50,000 to NT$250,000 under the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法) and require businesses to notify downstream distributors to remove non-compliant products. The ministry's proactive measures aim to safeguard pets' health and ensure compliance with international safety benchmarks.