Nationwide alert: Toxic Sudan Red dye found in fried chicken

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taiwan food industry food scandal deepens as Sudan Red, a carcinogenic industrial dye, is detected in breading and marinade powders used by many restaurants in the country. Altogether, more than two metric tons of the tainted powders have found their way into 11 municipalities nationwide.

The breading and marinade powders, laden with the toxic Sudan Red, are not only used by 16 food businesses in Taoyuan but also in Taipei City, New Taipei City, Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County, Taichung City, Changhua County, Tainan City, Kaohsiung City, Yilan County, and Hualien County. Many fried chicken outlets opted for these powders over the natural ingredients despite the health risks due to their convenience.

A Taoyuan food company, which manufactures breading for spicy fried chicken and marinade for flavored chicken chop, infringed regulations by producing 15 products with Sudan Red, used by up to 49 businesses.

Department of Public Health had already ordered the company in Taoyuan to pull 334.2 kilograms of the product from the shelves and called for a recall before Monday (March 11). It also urged downstream businesses to cease sales immediately as other counties continued the investigation.

"We've been consistently investigating the breading powder. We won't wait for notifications from other counties," said Taipei City's Department of Health Commissioner Chen Yen-yuan. "We've been thoroughly inspecting the problematic food products throughout Taipei."