Taiwan Revise Sanitation Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food

On March 11, 2019, Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare opened a draft revision of Maximum levels of metals and other contaminants in food^[1] to public feedback. Deadline for comments is May 10. Changes are highlighted below:

Set maximum limit of inorganic arsenic in fats and oils of aquatic animals in Appendix 1. Maximum levels of metals in foods^[2].

Foodstuffs		ML (mg/kg)
Foodstuffs		Total arsenic	Inorganic arsenic
1.4	Edible fats and oils
1.4.1	Fats and oils of aquatic animals (fish, shellfish, crustacean and other aquatic mollusks)		0.1
1.4.2	Fats and oils intended for direct human consumption (except for those in 1.4.1)	0.1
1.4.3	Fat spreads and blended spreads	0.1

Add grilled aquatic products to foodstuff with maximum Benzo(a)pyrene limit in Appendix 3. Maximum levels of other contaminants and toxins^[3].

	Foodstuffs	Benzo(a)pyrene ML (µg/kg)
2.4	Aquatic animal
2.4.1	Smoked or grilled sprats and canned smoked sprats (Sprattus sprattus); Smoked or grilled Baltic herring≦14 cm length and canned smoked or grilled Baltic herring≦14 cm length (Clupea harengus membras)	5.0
2.4.2	Smoked or grilled bivalve molluscs (exclude shell)	6.0
2.4.3	Muscle meat of smoked or grilled fish and smoked or grilled fishery products, exclude fishery products listed in points 2.4.1 and 2.4.2, exclude Katsuobushi (dried bonito). The ML for smoked or grilled crustaceans applies to muscle meat from appendages and abdomen. In case of smoked or grilled crabs and crab-like crustaceans (Brachyura and Anomura) it applies to muscle meat from appendages.	2.0
2.4.4	Bivalve molluscs (fresh, chilled or frozen, exclude shell)	5.0

Amended Sanitation Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food will come into effect when it is published in the future.