TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (衛生福利部食品藥物管理署) ordered the return or destruction of 3,200 kilograms of pesticide-contaminated bay leaves Tuesday (March 24). Tomax (小磨坊), a major Taiwanese seasoning company, imported the contaminated batch from Turkey. The bay leaves were among 11 products flagged for failing border inspections, including Korean dipping sauces and Argentine fresh garlic.
Liu Fang-ming (劉芳銘), director of the administration's Northern Center, said acetamiprid and pyriproxyfen exceeded the 0.05 ppm limit. Cyfluthrin surpassed the 0.03 ppm (0.03 mg/kg) threshold in the contaminated batch. This marked Tomax's only non-compliant batch over the past six months; the company will now undergo supervised inspections. Other companies importing similar products from the same region will face standard random inspections.
The administration identified 10 additional non-compliant products due to excessive preservatives and pesticide residues, including Korean dipping sauces and Argentine fresh garlic. Another company imported Caesar salad dressing from the U.S., which tested positive for 0.7 mg/kg of ethylene oxide. This 181.80-kilogram batch must be returned or destroyed, with the importer now subject to enhanced inspections ranging from 20% to 50%.
Tomax assured consumers through a statement on its website that it provided regulatory documents and inspection reports to the authorities. The company stated, "The confiscated batch was not introduced into our production line, nor did it reach the market or consumers." Tomax informed its supplier to reject the shipment and is managing the return process as per regulatory requirements. ◼