In early February 2024, Chi-Seng Co., Ltd.'s chili powder seasoning was tested positive for Sudan III, a toxic chemical prohibited in food products in Taiwan. Subsequent investigations revealed that the implicated raw chili powder was sourced from the upstream supplier, Bao Xin Enterprise Co., Ltd. The contamination has affected multiple downstream manufacturing enterprises, leading associated products to entering the market.
The implicated raw chili powder was reported to be imported by Bao Xin Enterprise Co., Ltd from the Chinese mainland. Starting from February 21, the TFDA and local bureaus have been inspecting chili powder imported from the Chinese mainland before the implementation of batch-by-batch inspection measures (from December 11, 2023 to June 10, 2024). 59 batches of raw chili powder have been inspected, with 18 batches found to be implicated (constantly updated). To halt the circulation of the implicated materials and products, as of March 7, 2024, the TFDA and local bureaus have sealed and recalled 127,089.2 kg of raw chili powder and associated products (constantly updated) .
In response to the severity of this food safety incident, the TFDA has escalated regulatory measures by imposing a three-month suspension of inspections for 21 Chinese mainland chili powder exporters and manufacturers with non-compliance records, effective since February 20, 2024. Additionally, the TFDA implements batch-by-batch supervision inspections on imported dried chili and pepper powder from all countries and regions from March 6, 2024, to June 5, 2024.
More importantly, this food safety incident has prompted regulatory authorities to intensify the scrutiny of food imports to Taiwan. The TFDA has stipulated that since March 1, 2024, for imported foods, whether at the border or in the post-market, the identification of harmful substances, counterfeiting, and the inclusion of unapproved additives, as specified in items 3, 7, and 10 of Article 15 in the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, may result in the suspension of inspection applications from relevant businesses in the event of significant food sanitation and safety incidents or serious non-compliance issues detected during product inspections, as specified in the Article 34. Furthermore, products with the same origin and CCC code will be subjected to batch-by-batch supervision inspections at the ports of entry.
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