TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided updates on investigations into Costco Taiwan's tainted frozen berries on Wednesday (May 10), two weeks after the outbreak was first reported.
When asked about the delay in responding to the recall, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Wang Pi-Sheng explained that the incident was complex and required time to comb through.
Speaking at a press briefing, FDA Director General Wu Shou-mei added that the FDA requested Costco to recall the tainted mixed berries on May 5. Of the 59 samples tested, 11 were negative, and the rest were still under inspection.
The Deputy Director General of the Centers for Disease Control, Lo Yi-Chun, confirmed that all suspected cases reported in Taipei, New Taipei, and Kaohsiung were unrelated to Costco's hepatitis A virus-tainted Kirkland Signature brand berries.
Costco has promised to provide details on the recall and compensation by May 11, according to Wang Te-ming, an executive of the Consumer Protection Committee, Executive Yuan.
While there have been no positive cases related to Costco's tainted frozen berries thus far, the CDC extended the observation period to 60 days due to the 15-50 day incubation period of hepatitis A. Close monitoring will be carried out until the end of June, the agency said.
Bags of mixed berries from Costco's Kirkland Signature brand tested positive for hepatitis A on April 28, prompting the recall.
