DDT contamination found in another brand of teabags

DDT contamination found in another brand of teabags

On the heels of the most recent tea scare, the Taichung City Department of Health discovered DDT contamination in 3:15PM Milk Tea teabags, manufactured by Shih Chen Foods Co. Ltd., on 2 May 2015, said officials.

Routine food safety inspections were conducted by the Chiayi City Government at a PX mart on May 1, which resulted in the discovery of DDT contaminations in 3:15 Milk Tea's Jhihuo Oolong Rose Tea teabags, said officials.

Tipped off by the Chiayi City Government, the Taichung Health Department then sent investigators to the headquarters of Shih Chen yesterday, confiscating more than 600 kilograms of teabags, said officials.

According to the health bureau, Shih Chen supplies teabags to six downstream dealers including PX mart, which had purchased 1,377 boxes of tea bags from Dec. 4, 2014 to April 30, at a total of over 700 kilograms. Upon the health bureau's orders, all Jhihuo Oolong Rose Tea teabags were immediately taken off shelves of PX mart, said officials.

Chu Chun-hun, general manager of Shih Chen, apologised to the public yesterday afternoon, vowing that complete details of the matter will soon be made available, and that compensation measures will be announced in due time. It is suspected that the DDT contamination is due to rose leaves from India and not locally grown oolong leaves, said Chu.

Chu said to members of the press that the oolong tea in Jhihuo Oolong Rose Tea was bought from Shang Feng Tea Manufacturer based in Nantou, and that the rose leaves were bought from Yong Sheng Tang Co. Ltd., from Tainan. Yong Sheng Tang's leaves were reportedly imported from India.

The Nantou County Health Bureau searched Shang Feng yesterday, confiscating more than 800 kilograms of oolong tea leaves. Samples of the leaves were separated for analysis, said officials.

Tradition tea found to contain etofenprox

Oolong teabags of Tradition Tea, manufactured by GoodYoung Co. Ltd., were found to contain 0.07ppm of etofenprox, according to the Nantou Health Bureau.

Officials say the tea leaves were bought from Gao Ding Tea Manufacturer, which purchased plucked tea leaves from a tea farmer surnamed Chen in Nantou. More than 200 kg of tea leaves were then manufactured into oolong tea by Gao Ding, whose oolong teabags had been sold to downstream dealers, said officials.

According to the health bureau, another 1.53 kg of A Jasmine Tea sold at a Chinese medicine store was confiscated yesterday after tests revealed the presence of triazophos at 0.11ppm.

Officials said that according to the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, these manufacturers may face fines of between NT$60,000 (S$2,600) -200 million (S$8.66 million).

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