Eel found with malachite green for the first time in nearly 3 years, fortunately it did not reach the market

Taiwan Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office broke up a case last night (the 27th) involving tainted eels containing the carcinogen malachite green (Malachite green). Wang Deyuan, deputy director of the Northern Regional Management Center of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said this is the first case of malachite green detected in eels in nearly 3 years.

Malachite green is a type of insecticide used to control fish parasites, fungi, protozoa and so on, but malachite green remains in soil, ponds, aquatic viscera and lipids, and countries such as those in Europe, the United States and Japan have banned its use. Long-term intake can cause liver cancer, thyroid cancer, fetal deformities and so on.

This batch of problem eels and semi-finished kabayaki eels was purchased by the Pingtung-based eel processor Hongyi Company from its long-term partner Mingquan Company in Taoyuan, but the two sides delivered the goods before the test report came out; at the end of March this year, Hongyi Company received a report from the testing company and the trade association, found that this batch of eels contained malachite green and reduced malachite green, and returned the goods to Mingquan Company.

Unexpectedly, Mingquan Company did not destroy the products suspected to be unsafe in accordance with the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, and privately made them into kabayaki eels in an attempt to sell them domestically. Under the active investigation of Chiayi investigators, the case was referred to the Taiwan Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office for handling. Wang Deyuan said that because the relevant evidence and materials are all in the prosecution and investigation system, the relevant health units will actively cooperate with the investigation. As for whether the source of this batch of eels was domestic or imported, it still needs to be further clarified.