TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — After being asked to provide detailed recipes of its products, pastry chain Chia Te Bakery decided against submitting supplementary information to renew its import license in China.

SETNews reported on Monday (Dec. 12) that early this year, China demanded that Chia Te Bakery provide supplementary documentation to keep its import registration active, though the expiration date of the company’s registration was not due yet. The company’s owner was cited as saying that while it had been easy to apply for import approval, China made providing supplementary information difficult.

Chia Te Bakery, known for its pineapple pastries, said they were required to provide details such as factory specifications, which included questions like how many employees the company had in Taiwan, and the ratio of ingredients in a pineapple pastry, which asked for the amount of sugar and cream used. The company’s owner Lin Yueh-ying (林月英) added, “It feels kind of like they don’t want to let you register… I won’t say they’re picking on us, they just make it troublesome.”

On Monday, Chia Te Bakery posted a statement on its Facebook page in response to the report. It read, “Regarding public discussions about China’s ban on Taiwanese products, Chia Te Bakery would like to clarify that the company was founded in Taiwan and have always used top-notch ingredients to ensure quality, which is why it has been trusted by domestic and foreign customers.”

It added that it had registered for import approvals overseas to help cross-border purchasing agents so that they would not need to travel to Taiwan to buy the company’s products. However, the company added, it still has its focus on the local market, “therefore whether or not we sell overseas will not affect the company’s development path.”

“Chia Te Bakery began in Taiwan and is devoted to Taiwan. Ultimately, the goal of the company is to produce high-quality pastries and serve customers.”