TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Premier Chen Chien-jen vowed on Friday (March 8) to expedite the process of investigating chili powder supplies as Taiwan grapples with a food safety crisis due to the use of banned food coloring, Sudan Red. Chen pledged to see all batches of chili powder tested by the end of March.
The toxic coloring was found in chili powder supplies, white pepper powder, pepper salt, chicken powder, and the chili sauce produced by a well-known soybean trader in Tainan. All suspected items have been sealed and stored pending inspection.
The issue of Sudan Red in chili powder is indeed systemic, said Chen, but added that the government has initiated a series of checks from the top down to trace the source.
Chen emphasized the government's rigorous inspections, which have been extended to improve control procedures for school lunches and elder care facilities, to ensure the safety of the public's health.
Drawing comparisons to the Cimbuterl Affair, Chen admitted that "despite this issue being a single case, the central and local authorities will collectively impose improved inspection standards and process controls for the future."
