Dioxin detected in eggs from Taiwan, China for the first time; Food and Drug Administration investigates feed or environmental contamination
By News & Market reporters Kong De-lian and Lai Yu-wei
After dioxin-contaminated duck eggs were detected in ROC year 94 [2005], another case of dioxin-contaminated chicken eggs has now been reported in the country. Lin Chin-fu, deputy director-general of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said, "This is the first time chicken eggs have tested positive for abnormal dioxin levels!" The FDA, the Council of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Administration held a joint press conference with Chang Jung-wei, assistant research fellow at National Cheng Kung University's Research Center for Environmental Trace Toxic Substances, and pointed out that this batch of chicken eggs tested at 5.2 picograms per gram of fat, exceeding the domestic dioxin control limit of 2.5 picograms per gram of fat, which counts as abnormally high.
FDA deputy director-general Lin Chin-fu said the agency received a report on the evening of the 18th that a batch distributor in Toufen City, Miaoli County, had detected one batch of chicken eggs with abnormal dioxin test results. After investigation, it was determined that the abnormal eggs may have come from three laying hen farms in Fangyuan, Changhua - Junyi, Hongzhang, and Caiyuan. Joint inspections, sealing, and precautionary removal from shelves have now been initiated.
The FDA and the Council of Agriculture jointly announced three decisions: the three laying hen farms have been sealed, and the chickens and eggs at these farms are subject to a seven-day movement control and sealing, and may not be shipped out; eggs produced by the three laying hen farms must complete precautionary removal from shelves by 3 p.m. tomorrow (the 22nd); if operators fail to remove them from shelves as required, they will be fined under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, with fines of 30,000 to 3,000,000 yuan; before the seal is lifted, eggs from these three laying hen farms may not be sold externally.
