102 of 716 tested food items non-compliant for pesticides: Taiwan FDA

Taipei, May 12 (CNA) Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) said Monday it tested 716 fruit and vegetable products as part of a pesticide residue monitoring program from January to February and found 102 to be non-compliant, including imported strawberries.

A strawberry sample from Mia C'bon's store in Yonghe District's Beyond Plaza, for instance, contained 0.06 parts per million (ppm) of the pesticide acrinathrin, according to the TFDA.

Under Taiwanese law, no acrinathrin residue can be detected on strawberries.

Breeze Super in Taipei sold strawberries containing multiple banned or misused pesticides, including 1.26 ppm of isopyrazam and 0.31 ppm of norflurazon, neither of which are allowed, the administration said.

A sample from Lopia's Chunri Road store in Taoyuan contained 0.44 ppm of isopyrazam, according to the TFDA.

Wei Jen-ting (魏任廷), director of the TFDA's Southern Center, said the suppliers of the strawberries were fined between NT$60,000 (US$1,972) and NT$240,000.

He said Chian Her Fruit Co., the supplier for Breeze Super, received the heaviest penalty because it had a prior violation within the past year.

The TFDA recommended that consumers prioritize seasonal produce and choose fruits and vegetables with organic, certified agricultural standards (CAS), or traceability certifications.

The agency also advised rinsing fruit and vegetables under running water before cutting and peeling them.