Executive Yuan: Potato Import Standards Unchanged; Excessive Solanine Leads to Return or Destruction
Taiwan's Executive Yuan clarified that import safety standards for US processed potatoes remain strict. Any batch exceeding solanine limits or showing severe mold or rot will be returned or destroyed.
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- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 21:38
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(Central News Agency, Reporter Lai Yu-chen, Taipei, 23rd) Quarantine standards for imported US processed potatoes have recently attracted attention. The Executive Yuan explained today that the government's food safety standards for imported US processed potatoes remain unchanged. If potatoes test positive for excessive solanine, or exhibit severe mold or rot, the entire batch will be returned or destroyed.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency (APHIA) of the Ministry of Agriculture implemented the "Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Processed Potatoes from the United States" on February 6 this year, sparking public concern over whether quarantine standards were being relaxed.
Executive Yuan Spokesperson Li Hui-chih stated via a media group tonight that the government has always upheld the principles of "scientific evidence, strict quarantine, and ensuring food safety." It has not allowed the import of sprouted, rotten, or moldy potatoes. The Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) have a dual-check mechanism to prevent substandard or toxic potatoes from entering the market.
Regarding the import standards for US processed potatoes, Li explained that the Ministry of Agriculture and MOHW have clarified that food safety standards remain unchanged. Before export, the US must confirm that the potatoes are not sprouted and carry no pests, diseases, or soil; otherwise, they cannot be exported to Taiwan. Upon arrival in Taiwan, the MOHW and the Ministry of Agriculture will implement a dual-check system and enforce border management inspections.
Li emphasized that the Food and Drug Administration's food safety management regulations, inspection standards, and practices for imported potatoes have not been relaxed and remain unchanged. The detection standards for solanine are also completely unchanged. Once potatoes test positive for excessive solanine or show severe mold or rot, the entire batch will be returned or destroyed.
If the Ministry of Agriculture discovers suspected sprouting during border inspections, Li said authorities will require operators to propose improvement measures. This includes returning or destroying the entire container, or sealing the batch of potatoes and sending them directly to a designated quarantine area. Under the supervision of APHIA, operators will inspect the potatoes batch by batch, container by container, and potato by potato. Any sprouted, moldy, or rotten potatoes will be discarded and destroyed. They will not enter the processing procedure nor flow into the market. This sorting process remains part of the border quarantine procedure.
If the Ministry of Agriculture finds an entire batch of potatoes with sprouting issues during quarantine, Li stated that after the operators cull the sprouted potatoes under supervision, health units will sample and test for solanine. If the inspection fails to meet regulations, the entire batch will also be destroyed.
Regarding the "Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Processed Potatoes from the United States" announced by the Ministry of Agriculture on February 6, which was mentioned in the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade (ART), Li explained that the quarantine conditions were established by the Ministry of Agriculture based on scientific evidence, international norms, and international practices, and were completed after years of technical communication and negotiation between Taiwan and the US. The specific quarantine conditions are not regulated by the ART.
She emphasized that while promoting international economic and trade relations, Taiwan always bases its actions on scientific evidence and uses a dual mechanism of source management and border control to ensure imported agricultural products meet quarantine and food safety requirements, safeguarding public health. (Editor: Lin Hsing-meng) 1150423
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency (APHIA) of the Ministry of Agriculture implemented the "Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Processed Potatoes from the United States" on February 6 this year, sparking public concern over whether quarantine standards were being relaxed.
Executive Yuan Spokesperson Li Hui-chih stated via a media group tonight that the government has always upheld the principles of "scientific evidence, strict quarantine, and ensuring food safety." It has not allowed the import of sprouted, rotten, or moldy potatoes. The Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) have a dual-check mechanism to prevent substandard or toxic potatoes from entering the market.
Regarding the import standards for US processed potatoes, Li explained that the Ministry of Agriculture and MOHW have clarified that food safety standards remain unchanged. Before export, the US must confirm that the potatoes are not sprouted and carry no pests, diseases, or soil; otherwise, they cannot be exported to Taiwan. Upon arrival in Taiwan, the MOHW and the Ministry of Agriculture will implement a dual-check system and enforce border management inspections.
Li emphasized that the Food and Drug Administration's food safety management regulations, inspection standards, and practices for imported potatoes have not been relaxed and remain unchanged. The detection standards for solanine are also completely unchanged. Once potatoes test positive for excessive solanine or show severe mold or rot, the entire batch will be returned or destroyed.
If the Ministry of Agriculture discovers suspected sprouting during border inspections, Li said authorities will require operators to propose improvement measures. This includes returning or destroying the entire container, or sealing the batch of potatoes and sending them directly to a designated quarantine area. Under the supervision of APHIA, operators will inspect the potatoes batch by batch, container by container, and potato by potato. Any sprouted, moldy, or rotten potatoes will be discarded and destroyed. They will not enter the processing procedure nor flow into the market. This sorting process remains part of the border quarantine procedure.
If the Ministry of Agriculture finds an entire batch of potatoes with sprouting issues during quarantine, Li stated that after the operators cull the sprouted potatoes under supervision, health units will sample and test for solanine. If the inspection fails to meet regulations, the entire batch will also be destroyed.
Regarding the "Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Processed Potatoes from the United States" announced by the Ministry of Agriculture on February 6, which was mentioned in the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade (ART), Li explained that the quarantine conditions were established by the Ministry of Agriculture based on scientific evidence, international norms, and international practices, and were completed after years of technical communication and negotiation between Taiwan and the US. The specific quarantine conditions are not regulated by the ART.
She emphasized that while promoting international economic and trade relations, Taiwan always bases its actions on scientific evidence and uses a dual mechanism of source management and border control to ensure imported agricultural products meet quarantine and food safety requirements, safeguarding public health. (Editor: Lin Hsing-meng) 1150423