Owner of Wen-Ya Farm Prosecuted for Illegally Using Fipronil to Eliminate Chicken Lice
The owner of Wen-Ya Farm in Changhua County is being prosecuted for using the banned chemical Fipronil to treat chicken lice, leading to about 150,000 contaminated eggs being distributed to 10 counties and cities. Prosecutors have indicted the farm owner and the head of a downstream egg distributor for violating the Food Safety Act and fraud.
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- 📰 Published: May 14, 2026 at 14:08
- 🔍 Collected: May 14, 2026 at 14:32 (23 min after Published)
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(Central News Agency, Changhua, 14th) The Wen-Ya Farm in Changhua County illegally used Fipronil to deal with "chicken lice," resulting in approximately 150,000 contaminated eggs flowing into 10 counties and cities. The Changhua District Prosecutors Office has concluded its investigation and indicted the farm's owner, surnamed Chen, and the owner of the Taichung-based Long-Zhong egg dealership, surnamed Lin, for alleged violations of the Food Safety Act and fraud.
According to a press release issued by the Taiwan Changhua District Prosecutors Office today, the owner of Wen-Ya Farm, Mr. Chen, on an unknown date before October 2025, in order to solve the problem of the parasite "chicken lice" on his egg-laying hens, knowingly used Fipronil, a pesticide and veterinary drug not permitted for use on egg-laying hens. He mixed it with other pesticides such as Carbofuran, Cypermethrin, and Emamectin, diluted the mixture, and sprayed it on the chicken coops and cages.
Fipronil is fat-soluble. After being absorbed by the hens, it transforms into a metabolite stored in their fat and muscles, leading to excessive residue levels in the eggs they produce. Testing by the Changhua County Public Health Bureau showed that some eggs had Fipronil metabolite residue levels of up to 0.03 ppm, exceeding the legal safety tolerance of 0.01 ppm.
Prosecutors stated that starting from October of last year, Mr. Chen wholesaled the contaminated eggs to four egg dealerships in Taichung and Changhua at prices ranging from NT$28.5 to NT$33.5 per catty. The eggs were then distributed by the dealers. As of November 9, approximately 150,000 eggs had flowed to chain supermarkets and shopping centers in Taoyuan City, Hsinchu County, Taichung, Changhua, Yunlin County, Nantou County, Chiayi County/City, Tainan City, and Kaohsiung City.
On November 5 of the same year, after the Changhua County Animal and Plant Disease Control Center informed Mr. Chen by phone of a movement control order, Chen conspired with Mr. Lin of the Long-Zhong egg dealership to continue selling 160 boxes of non-compliant eggs to downstream restaurants and the public.
The Changhua Prosecutors Office directed the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau's Changhua County Investigation Station, along with agricultural and health authorities, to conduct a search. They seized criminal tools including a pesticide sprayer, remaining pesticide cans, Long-Zhong's purchase records, detailed statements, and records of returned eggs. They also commissioned the Ministry of Agriculture's Taiwan Agricultural Chemicals and Toxic Substances Research Institute to test samples, which confirmed Fipronil residue in the sprayer and egg samples.
Under the supervision of the Changhua Prosecutors Office and agricultural authorities, Mr. Chen completed the destruction of the remaining contaminated eggs and the culling of the hens on the farm.
Prosecutors said that Mr. Chen is suspected of committing the crime of manufacturing and selling food with pesticide residues exceeding safety tolerance levels, a serious offense under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation that poses a threat to human health. He and Mr. Lin are also co-offenders in the crime of fraud under the Criminal Code of the Republic of China, and have been formally indicted. The prosecutor has requested the confiscation of Mr. Chen's criminal proceeds of approximately NT$3.64 million and Mr. Lin's criminal proceeds of approximately NT$120,000. (Editor: Li Ming-tsung) 1150514
According to a press release issued by the Taiwan Changhua District Prosecutors Office today, the owner of Wen-Ya Farm, Mr. Chen, on an unknown date before October 2025, in order to solve the problem of the parasite "chicken lice" on his egg-laying hens, knowingly used Fipronil, a pesticide and veterinary drug not permitted for use on egg-laying hens. He mixed it with other pesticides such as Carbofuran, Cypermethrin, and Emamectin, diluted the mixture, and sprayed it on the chicken coops and cages.
Fipronil is fat-soluble. After being absorbed by the hens, it transforms into a metabolite stored in their fat and muscles, leading to excessive residue levels in the eggs they produce. Testing by the Changhua County Public Health Bureau showed that some eggs had Fipronil metabolite residue levels of up to 0.03 ppm, exceeding the legal safety tolerance of 0.01 ppm.
Prosecutors stated that starting from October of last year, Mr. Chen wholesaled the contaminated eggs to four egg dealerships in Taichung and Changhua at prices ranging from NT$28.5 to NT$33.5 per catty. The eggs were then distributed by the dealers. As of November 9, approximately 150,000 eggs had flowed to chain supermarkets and shopping centers in Taoyuan City, Hsinchu County, Taichung, Changhua, Yunlin County, Nantou County, Chiayi County/City, Tainan City, and Kaohsiung City.
On November 5 of the same year, after the Changhua County Animal and Plant Disease Control Center informed Mr. Chen by phone of a movement control order, Chen conspired with Mr. Lin of the Long-Zhong egg dealership to continue selling 160 boxes of non-compliant eggs to downstream restaurants and the public.
The Changhua Prosecutors Office directed the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau's Changhua County Investigation Station, along with agricultural and health authorities, to conduct a search. They seized criminal tools including a pesticide sprayer, remaining pesticide cans, Long-Zhong's purchase records, detailed statements, and records of returned eggs. They also commissioned the Ministry of Agriculture's Taiwan Agricultural Chemicals and Toxic Substances Research Institute to test samples, which confirmed Fipronil residue in the sprayer and egg samples.
Under the supervision of the Changhua Prosecutors Office and agricultural authorities, Mr. Chen completed the destruction of the remaining contaminated eggs and the culling of the hens on the farm.
Prosecutors said that Mr. Chen is suspected of committing the crime of manufacturing and selling food with pesticide residues exceeding safety tolerance levels, a serious offense under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation that poses a threat to human health. He and Mr. Lin are also co-offenders in the crime of fraud under the Criminal Code of the Republic of China, and have been formally indicted. The prosecutor has requested the confiscation of Mr. Chen's criminal proceeds of approximately NT$3.64 million and Mr. Lin's criminal proceeds of approximately NT$120,000. (Editor: Li Ming-tsung) 1150514