Imported tea passed off as Taiwan organic tea: "Goddess Farmer" apologizes in tears
Chen Lixue, once named a "Century Goddess Farmer" and owner of the Jiafang Organic Tea Garden in Taitung, has been investigated by the Taitung District Prosecutors Office for allegedly selling tea blended with or passed off as imported tea. Prosecutors believe she and her husband Su Yinde are suspected of fraud and of falsely labeling the country of origin of goods, and each was released on bail of 100,000 yuan. Chen Lixue came forward on the evening of the 11th, choking up several times, bowing in apology, and promising to buy back tea priced under 700 yuan at twice the price.
"I didn't know this was imported tea either!" Chen Lixue said, bowing with tears in her eyes, stressing that she would take responsibility toward consumers and promising unconditional recall and double compensation. She admitted that organic tea is expensive, and that after 15 years in organic tea she had been unable to capture the middle- and lower-spending customer base. Three years ago, she met a tea merchant from central Taiwan at an exhibition; the other party claimed that "this kind of tea is very good" and cheap, so she bought this tea wholesale from them to sell.
Hsieh Chang-hsia, chief prosecutor of the Taitung District Prosecutors Office, said on the 11th that in February they received a report from the Food and Drug Administration that "the Taitung Jiafang Tea Shop was suspected of passing off imported tea as high-grade Taiwan tea." Prosecutor Lin Yung personally went to the store to conduct overt and covert checks, and after buying tea to gather evidence and sending it for testing and identification, confirmed suspected offenses including fraud. After applying for a search warrant, they launched a search and summons on the 10th.
On the 10th, the Taitung District Prosecutors Office, together with the Science and Technology Investigation Team and the First Investigation Team of the Criminal Investigation Corps of the Taitung County Police Bureau and the Taitung Precinct, as well as units including the Food and Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Food and Drug Section of the Taitung County Health Bureau, searched the residence and factory of the couple Chen Lixue and Su Yinde in Mingfeng Village, Beinan Township, Taitung County, and their store in Binlang Village in the same township. At the scene, they seized 282 jin of tea suspected of being blended or passed off as other tea, among other items, and summoned and interrogated the Su couple and 4 employees. After questioning, Su and Chen were each released on bail of 100,000 yuan.
Chen Lixue stressed that although 282 jin of tea was seized, not all of the products were blended or passed-off tea. She said she was deeply sorry for damaging the reputation of Taitung tea, stressed that she would not evade this fault, and expressed hope of winning back consumers' confidence.