Taiwan FDA finds carcinogen in US sauces, orders destruction

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (食藥署, FDA) announced on Tuesday (June 11) that three batches of seasoning sauces imported from the United States failed border inspections due to the detection of the carcinogen ethylene oxide.

The products, including sugar-free vinaigrette, smoked chili and lime BBQ sauce,and steak sauce,are set for destruction at the border.

FDA Deputy Director-General Lin Chin-fu (林金富) stated that these products would be returned and destroyed. Specifically, the "sugar-free vinaigrette" and "smoked chili and lime BBQ sauce," imported by Hao Shi International Co., Ltd., were found to contain 1.2 ppm and 1.1 ppm of ethylene oxide, respectively, totaling 575.1 kilograms.

Similarly, Zhan Ying Trading Co., Ltd.'s "steak sauce (A-1 STEAK SAUCE)" was detected with 0.3 ppm of the carcinogen, amounting to 122.47 kilograms. Both companies will now face batch-by-batch inspections for their imported products.

Ethylene oxide is a substance that regulations stipulate must not be detected, the FDA stated.