TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan intercepted 127 metric tons of eggs from Turkey with residues of antibiotics for animals, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Tuesday (July 18).
Due to egg shortages, the Council of Agriculture (COA) agreed to import eggs from nine countries, including Turkey. A total of 12,000 metric tons entered Taiwan between Jan. 1 and July 16, with five batches of Turkish eggs testing positive for antibiotics, or 1.5% of the total, NowNews reported.
Tests found 4.5 parts per billion of the antibiotic 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone, a substance that should not be present in the eggs at all, according to the FDA. While there was no strong evidence that the antibiotic could cause cancer, Taiwan, the United States, and the European Union banned it, but Turkey had not.
Imports from countries in the region were more substantial, as transportation took less time, allowing for fresh products. The Council of Agriculture (COA) said earlier that the supply of eggs would stabilize, leading to a reduction in the need for imports.