Taipei's health authorities have mandated the withdrawal of 18 varieties of fruits and vegetables from the market due to the detection of excessive pesticide residues in September's testing phase. Included in the list is coriander, a staple herb in Chinese and Southeast Asian dishes, which was found to have residues from nine different pesticides in samples taken from Huannan Market and a prominent supermarket chain.
Additional produce identified as exceeding pesticide limits comprises scallion, bok choy, celery, white radish, basil, canola, cucumber, green bean, and hot pepper, all of which exhibited residues from up to nine pesticide types. These items have been classified as high-risk agricultural products, a determination made through analysis of historical market data and preliminary field inspections. Such products are subsequently targeted for enhanced scrutiny under the next year's monitoring agenda to eliminate inferior quality goods from the distribution network.
The Department of Health has outlined that recurrent infringements of food safety regulations could lead to sanctions, ranging from temporary to permanent market access restrictions. It has advised consumers to retain purchase receipts and photograph the packaging of fruits and vegetables, capturing details like the manufacturer's name and supply code, to facilitate the traceback of contaminated goods.
Merchants found distributing products that fail to meet safety standards are subject to penalties as stipulated by the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, with fines varying from $1,879 to $6.25 million. In instances where the contamination source remains unidentified, fines can fluctuate between $937 and $93,750.
Source: TaiwanNews