Taipei Times
Date: Apr 16, 2015
By: Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating which parties are responsible for
Rose buds imported by Kaohsiung’s Yuen Yeeh Enterprise Co are displayed yesterday. The buds might be toxic as a rose tea drink sold at tea store chain Stornaway was found to contain traces of DDT on Tuesday. Photo: CNA
the falsification of country of origin documents for rose tea ingredients used by tea chain Stornaway (英國藍) that were found to be laced with pesticides.
Dubbed the “poison of the century,” dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), can enter the human body via contaminated food, water and air, and can cause chronic effects on the nervous system, causing excitability, tremors and seizures.
Some research has also associated the pesticide, which has been banned by many countries, including Taiwan, since the 1970s, with increased risks of breast cancer.
A preliminary investigation by the agency showed that Stornaway purchased the tainted ingredients from Taipei-based Chou Chieh Trading Co (洲界貿易), which procured the products from its supplier, Kaohsiung-based Yuen Yeeh Enterprise Co (原宜貿易), FDA Director-General Chiang Yu-mei (姜郁美) said. [FULL STORY]
