TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Chiayi health authorities have ordered the production and sale of a black sesame oil product suspended and launched a recall after testing found benzopyrene levels above the legal limit.
The Chiayi Public Health Bureau said it received a voluntary report on Monday from Uni-Procurement Corp., which produced cold-pressed black sesame oil. The company's distributor, Santa Cruz, operated by President Natural Industrial Co., detected benzopyrene at 3.2 micrograms per kilogram, exceeding the legal limit of 2 micrograms per kilogram, per UDN.
The bureau immediately dispatched inspectors to Uni-Procurement's facility, where they sampled black sesame oil stored in a tank and ordered the company to halt production. The company was also instructed to trace the distribution of the affected product and remove it from shelves. The bureau said the product can return to sale only after passing further testing.
The affected product was manufactured on March 26 and comes in 255-milliliter bottles with an expiration date of April 6, 2028. The Chiayi bureau identified 216 bottles from the noncompliant production batch, all of which were delivered to Santa Cruz's headquarters for distribution to its retail outlets.
Santa Cruz said it has also taken preventive action by removing the affected black sesame oil from sale. Customers who purchased the product with an expiration date of April 6, 2028, can request a full refund through Sept. 30, according to the company's notice.
The Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday that the case was the first voluntarily reported noncompliant sesame oil case identified during the latest nationwide expansion of edible-oil inspections. Authorities have tested 658 edible-oil products since July 1, per UDN.
The Chiayi bureau said the company purchases black sesame seeds from suppliers outside Chiayi under a warehousing arrangement. When production is required, the suppliers send the seeds to an outside facility for roasting before the roasted seeds are transported back to the Chiayi factory for further processing.
The exact cause of the elevated benzopyrene level has not yet been determined. Uni-Procurement plans to apply to the FDA for expert assistance to conduct an on-site investigation of the oil-processing facility, examining key control points and identifying possible sources of the contamination, the bureau said.
The bureau urged consumers who purchased the affected product to stop consuming it and return it to the original point of purchase as soon as possible. Consumers with disputes can call the national consumer service hotline at 1950. Food safety and hygiene concerns can be reported to the Chiayi Public Health Bureau at 05-233-8066.
