TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Checks of 15 high-risk farms in Changhua found no evidence of eggs tainted with the banned pesticide fipronil, reports said Saturday.

The Wenya Livestock Farm in Pitou had been banned from selling and moving eggs to other locations on Nov. 5 after pesticide residue had been found in its eggs. As a result, Changhua County decided to conduct tests at 933 poultry farms on its territory, per UDN.

At each of 15 high-risk farms, inspectors took one sample of eggs, feathers, feed, and water Thursday, with testing conducted Friday. All tests came out negative for fipronil, the county government said.

The threat needed to be taken seriously because the county on its own produces half the eggs of the whole country, officials said. The campaign to inspect all farms will last until the end of December.

Farmers caught using fipronil could face fines ranging from NT$60,000 (US$1,900) to NT$300,000. The legal maximum for the pesticide found in eggs was 0.01 parts per million.