TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unveiled on Tuesday (Nov. 21) that two kilograms of Japan-imported green tea powder was destroyed at the border.
On the same day, the FDA released the latest radiation detection results on imported Japanese food, identifying trace amounts of the radioactive cesium-137 in green tea powder from Ibaraki, Japan.
While the batch's cesium-137 levels were within the acceptable limit of 100 becquerels per kilogram, the FDA reportedly urged businesses to adhere to ethical practices; the two kilograms of tea powder were destroyed at the border.
FDA Deputy Director-General Lin Chin-fu disclosed the batch was tested on Oct. 31 and revealed 3 becquerels per kg of cesium-137 and 3 becquerels per kg of cesium-134 plus cesium-137.
Food from five prefectures of Fukushima, Japan, began importing to Taiwan last year, provided they had proof of radiation and origin for inspection applications.
The FDA bases its regulations on "Standards for the Tolerance of Atomic Dust and Radioactivity Contamination in Foods," with set limits for cesium-134 and cesium-137 in drinks, infant food, baby food, dairy products, and other foods.
From 2011 to 2023, Taiwan tested 224,970 batches of Japanese food, with 252 samples showing trace radioactivity, none exceeding national or Japanese standards.
