Several batches of avocados imported from the United States were intercepted by Taiwanese customs due to cadmium levels exceeding local regulations, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). During inspections, three out of eight shipments from the U.S. were found noncompliant, including 3,796.8 kg of avocados from two companies.
Chiawei Enterprise Co. and Ourmart Marketing Co. imported 2,531.2 kg and 1,265.6 kg of avocados, respectively. The cadmium levels in these shipments ranged from 0.08 to 0.12 ppm, surpassing Taiwan's permissible limit of 0.05 ppm. "The FDA would tighten inspections," stated FDA Deputy Director-General Lin Chin-fu, increasing the sampling rate for these companies to between 20 and 50 per cent.
All noncompliant avocados were either returned to the U.S. or destroyed at the border, ensuring they did not enter the local market, the FDA confirmed.
Source: Taipei Times