TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tea grown in Taiwan will be subject to a traceability system starting Jan. 1, 2023, as more agricultural and fishery products are set to be regulated.

Domestically cultivated tea must come with certification that indicates its origin, such as a QR code or a label listing it as organic, according to the Council of Agriculture (COA). The measure was introduced to fight counterfeit tea being labeled as Taiwan tea.

Over 4,000 businesses in the tea industry have registered their products as required by the Agricultural and Food Agency. False or inadequate labeling will incur penalties pursuant to the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法) and information of the businesses held liable will be published, wrote Agriharvest.

COA Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) said testing methods are being developed to identify the source of more agricultural and fishery products. Oysters, garlic, and shiitake mushrooms are among those to be incorporated into the traceability mechanism.

In October, Kaohsiung seized 107 tons of tea leaves that claimed to have been grown in Taiwan but were actually produced in China and smuggled via Vietnam. The products, marketed as prime Taiwan tea, were distributed by a prominent tea dealer in Gangshan District.