TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taoyuan Department of Public Health found chili powder tainted with Sudan III was distributed to six different businesses within its jurisdiction on Sunday (March 3), including popular hot pot chain Haidilao (海底撈), which used the chili powder for its "spicy duck blood” that was sent to 16 branches across Taiwan.
Food importer Bao Hsin Enterprises was found to be at the heart of the food safety scandal, distributing the tainted chili powder to downstream companies despite being aware of it being substandard. For this offense, the company’s top executive, Liu Ching-shih (劉慶士), was detained, and the company was fined NT$2 million (US$63,000) for violating the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, per China Times.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, an uptick in chili powder shipments from China was first noted in the middle of 2023. This led to strengthened inspections, including random batch-by-batch samplings that uncovered tainted chili powder products.
Taoyuan City Department of Public Health received notice recently that 13 batches of Bao Hsin’s tainted chili powder flowed into six Taoyuan businesses, including Haidilao. Authorities then tracked the tainted chili powder to Haidilao’s warehouse in Yangmei District.
An on-site warehouse inspection found the tainted chili powder was used in the company’s "spicy duck blood.” This prepared food product had already been distributed to the hot pot chain's branches throughout Taiwan with 734 kg of the product in question returned and another 145 kg taken off shelves.