Imported Asparagus, Cheese Exceed Pesticide Limits, All Intercepted at Border
Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) announced that two batches of asparagus imported from Thailand were found to contain propamocarb pesticide residues exceeding the legal limit of 0.01 ppm, testing at 0.02 ppm. Additionally, cheese imported from Italy was found to have excessive E. coli. A total of 730 kg of these products will be returned or destroyed. The TFDA will increase border inspection rates for the non-compliant importers.
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- 📰 Published: April 14, 2026 at 12:23
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TAIPEI (CNA) -- The Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) today announced a list of border inspection violations, with two batches of asparagus imported from Thailand found to have excessive pesticide residues, and one batch of cheese imported from Italy found to have excessive E. coli. All products must be returned or destroyed.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare's Food and Drug Administration today released its latest list of unqualified border inspection items, totaling 10 products, including Indonesian banana snacks and Vietnamese frozen passion fruit juice, which violated regulations due to non-compliant preservative levels and pesticide residue levels, respectively, and will be returned or destroyed as per regulations.
This time, two batches of asparagus imported from Thailand by the same importer were both found to contain 0.02 ppm of propamocarb pesticide residues. However, according to the "Standards for Pesticide Residue Limits," the legal limit for propamocarb under other classification standards is 0.01 ppm. A total of 730 kg must be returned or destroyed as per regulations.
Liu Fang-ming, director of the Northern Management Center, told the media that this importer has accumulated these two non-compliant batches in the past six months, and border inspections will be adjusted to batch-by-batch inspections, with a sampling rate of 100%.
The TFDA statistics for the past six months, from October 6, 2025, to April 6, 2026, show that out of 1057 batches of green asparagus from Thailand declared for inspection, 6 batches were found to be non-compliant, with a non-compliance rate of 0.6%. The reason for non-compliance was excessive pesticide residues. Liu Fang-ming said that the TFDA will implement enhanced batch sampling inspections for green asparagus from Thailand from February 3, 2026, to May 13, 2026, with a sampling rate of 20% to 50%.
In addition, one batch of Italian cheese declared by another importer was found to have an E. coli most probable number between 23 and 93 per gram. According to the "Microbiological Standards for Food Hygiene," for cheese products, the inspection results for E. coli allow no more than two samples out of five to have a microbial count between 10 and 100 E. coli per gram, but no sample should exceed 100 E. coli per gram.
The TFDA stated that this batch of Italian cheese must be returned or destroyed, and the importer will be subject to enhanced batch sampling inspections at the border, with a sampling rate of 20% to 50%. (Editor: Li Shu-hua) 1150414
The Ministry of Health and Welfare's Food and Drug Administration today released its latest list of unqualified border inspection items, totaling 10 products, including Indonesian banana snacks and Vietnamese frozen passion fruit juice, which violated regulations due to non-compliant preservative levels and pesticide residue levels, respectively, and will be returned or destroyed as per regulations.
This time, two batches of asparagus imported from Thailand by the same importer were both found to contain 0.02 ppm of propamocarb pesticide residues. However, according to the "Standards for Pesticide Residue Limits," the legal limit for propamocarb under other classification standards is 0.01 ppm. A total of 730 kg must be returned or destroyed as per regulations.
Liu Fang-ming, director of the Northern Management Center, told the media that this importer has accumulated these two non-compliant batches in the past six months, and border inspections will be adjusted to batch-by-batch inspections, with a sampling rate of 100%.
The TFDA statistics for the past six months, from October 6, 2025, to April 6, 2026, show that out of 1057 batches of green asparagus from Thailand declared for inspection, 6 batches were found to be non-compliant, with a non-compliance rate of 0.6%. The reason for non-compliance was excessive pesticide residues. Liu Fang-ming said that the TFDA will implement enhanced batch sampling inspections for green asparagus from Thailand from February 3, 2026, to May 13, 2026, with a sampling rate of 20% to 50%.
In addition, one batch of Italian cheese declared by another importer was found to have an E. coli most probable number between 23 and 93 per gram. According to the "Microbiological Standards for Food Hygiene," for cheese products, the inspection results for E. coli allow no more than two samples out of five to have a microbial count between 10 and 100 E. coli per gram, but no sample should exceed 100 E. coli per gram.
The TFDA stated that this batch of Italian cheese must be returned or destroyed, and the importer will be subject to enhanced batch sampling inspections at the border, with a sampling rate of 20% to 50%. (Editor: Li Shu-hua) 1150414