TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — PX Mart announced Friday that it was ordered by the Kaohsiung Health Bureau to remove 200-gram packs of Taiwan tilapia fillets from shelves after the product tested positive for the veterinary drug enrofloxacin.
The supermarket chain said customers may return the fillets for refunds with receipts at the original store. The sudden recall caused concern among shoppers, especially those who had already consumed the product, per CNA.
The Kaohsiung City Department of Health said the tilapia contained excessive levels of enrofloxacin, a bactericide permitted in some livestock but banned in aquatic products. According to the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, ingesting excessive amounts of the drug can cause stomach and kidney problems, meaning any detectable residue is considered a violation.
The contamination was first discovered during an annual food inspection in October, when 12 samples of aquatic products were tested. One sample of Taiwan tilapia fillets, expiring Sept. 16, 2027, from a PX Mart branch in Luzhu’s Zhongzheng area, was found to contain 0.028 ppm of enrofloxacin.
The PX Mart branch had purchased 24 packs, all of which were sold. The bureau notified PX Mart headquarters to immediately remove the non-compliant batch and alert consumers.
Health officials said 4,080 packs of tilapia fillets had already been sold, while 408 packs were pulled from PX Mart stores across Kaohsiung. The supplier was traced to an aquaculture farm in Yunlin County, and the case has been forwarded to the local health bureau for investigation.
The company that processed the tilapia said in a statement that test results from the original aquaculture supplier showed no detectable levels of the drug. It stressed that enrofloxacin was not added during processing and that the company has long conducted strict self-testing, with each batch accompanied by full SGS reports.
The company said it is fully cooperating with the Kaohsiung City Department of Health’s recall and will continue providing documents for follow-up testing and administrative procedures. Further explanation will be offered after the official test results are confirmed.
