TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A New Taipei-based baby food company announced a recall of its teething biscuit products on Tuesday (March 2) after it was found to have engaged in flawed production and packaging.

The company, operating under the brand of LeVic (樂扉), issued a statement on its website that six types of organic rice wafer products (盒裝有機寶寶米餅) will be removed from shelves over the alleged use of non-food grade nitrogen for packaging. Consumers can ask for a refund while the products are being examined at a certification institute.

The move follows an inspection visit at the business by New Taipei’s Department of Health on Feb. 26 that discovered nitrogen gas bottles labeled as “not to be used for food.” According to department official Yang Shu-tai (楊舒秦), a purity of at least 99 percent is required for nitrogen gas to be used for food packaging, wrote CNA.

Mirror Media reported that the company has adopted industrial-use nitrogen gas for the past four years to reduce cost, citing a former employee. The whistleblower also accused the company of violating hygiene protocols with pictures showing equipment tainted with rat excrement.

While acknowledging there were defects in the teething wafers’ sealing process, the company rejected claims by the former worker about the lousy food production environment. According to the statement, it has conducted regular disinfection at the biscuit production locations and the allegations were meant to slander the corporation.

Nitrogen gas labeled as 'not to be used for food' at LeVic factory (CNA photo)