Taipei [Taiwan], October 28 : Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) has intercepted a major shipment of Chinese mitten crabs after laboratory tests revealed traces of a banned veterinary drug, raising renewed alarm over the safety of food imports from China, as reported by Focus Taiwan.
According to Focus Taiwan, the seized shipment totalling 3,915 kilograms was imported by Ruiheng International Trade Co, a Taoyuan-based firm.
Testing confirmed the presence of 0.04 parts per million (ppm) of sulfadiazine, an antibiotic prohibited in crustaceans under Taiwan's food safety regulations. Liu Fang-ming, director of the TFDA's Northern Taiwan Management Center, stated during a press briefing that authorities have ordered the entire batch to be either destroyed or returned to the exporter in China. He cautioned that prolonged exposure to antibiotic residues in seafood can lead to antimicrobial resistance, reducing the effectiveness of essential medical treatments.
This was the first failed batch among three mitten crab consignments imported from China this year. Taiwan has maintained a 100 per cent inspection requirement for Chinese mitten crabs since 2007, checking for drug residues, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In 2024, authorities examined 31 batches, with one shipment previously rejected for exceeding dioxin limits.
The TFDA also revealed that the contaminated crabs were among 11 imported food items recently flagged at the border. These included melons from Japan, fish cakes from Indonesia, radish leaves from China, and lettuce from Malaysia, all of which failed safety tests, as cited by Focus Taiwan.
In a separate case, Costco Taiwan's imported oranges from Australia tested positive for the prohibited plant growth regulator gibberellin A3, leading to an order for destruction or return. The TFDA has since mandated enhanced inspection rates of 20-50 per cent for future orange imports.
Taiwan's regulators reaffirmed their commitment to strict food safety oversight, stressing that Chinese-origin seafood will remain under high-risk monitoring to safeguard consumers from harmful contaminants and illegal substances, as reported by Focus Taiwan.
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