TAIPEI (Taiwan News) —Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed that the banned antibiotic, enrofloxacin, has been found in fish imported from China at RT Mart and Carrefour.
The FDA randomly inspected importers, wholesale markets, dealers, traditional markets, and major hypermarkets. Among the 1,038 pieces of poultry, fish, and other seafood tested, four items were found to contain drug residue violations, per TVBS.
Each item was associated with yellow croaker imported from China and sold at Carrefour and RT-Mart.
The four violations were uncovered at Carrefour Taitung, Carrefour Taichung, Carrefour Miaoli, and RT-Mart Pingzhen Branch in Taoyuan. The FDA asked the hypermarkets to immediately remove and stop selling all related products and issue a recall in accordance with food safety regulations.
The antibiotic enrofloxacin is used to treat salmonella and other infectious diseases caused by bacteria. It is banned for use in aquaculture in Taiwan and many other countries around the world.
If consumed by people, enrofloxacin can cause kidney damage. The FDA said that when used in excess, it can also cause gastrointestinal discomfort, as it urged consumers to be vigilant about consuming tainted fish or poultry.