Taiwan Food Criminals Distribute Food From Japan's Radiated Region

283 products originating from the heavily radiated Fukushima Daiichi region of Japan were found to have been relabeled and sold in Taiwan by unscrupulous traders despite the TFDA mandate banning products from this region.

Taiwan’s food regulatory response to Fukushima accident

In response to the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, Taiwan imposed a ban on all foods produced in the five nuclear-stricken prefectures, namely Fukushima, Chiba, Gumma, Ibaraki and Tochigi. At the same time, nine food categories are subject to mandatory batch wise inspection before entering the Taiwanese market, including fresh/chilled fruit and vegetable, frozen fruit and vegetable, fresh/chilled live aquatic products, frozen aquatic products, dairy products, infant products, mineral water or drinking water, seaweed products and tea products.

As per a TFDA notice issued on Oct, 2014, TFDA will institute a rule mandating that a certificate of origin and a radiation-free certificate are attached to each batch of Japanese food products such as fresh vegetable, fruit and tea products. This pending rule is anticipated to be implemented in June.

The circulation of falsely labeled Japanese food in Taiwan

Illegal distribution of Japanese food from radiated region was first detected in Taiwan in March. A joint inspection conducted by government authorities was carried out later, and 283 out of 3000 products were seized, including products from well-known brands such as Nissin.

According to an FDA official, the original labels on the products in question were replaced by false labels indicating Tokyo Prefecture as the place of origin. Currently the government is still investigating the distribution channels used by counterfeiters.