TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Seven iced beverages from six different vendors in Taipei were found to contain harmful bacteria.
In a Monday (June 12) press release, the Taipei City Government Department of Health announced that it had conducted random inspections on 81 products, including 26 frozen foods, 10 edible ice cubes, 34 beverages, and 11 samples of ingredients. Of these, 22 failed the inspection and after a second test was conducted, seven were found to have unsafe levels of Enterobacteriaceae.
Entrance to Ji Long Tang. (Taipei City Government Department of Health photo)
The seven drinks included an apple and wild berry smoothie and a chocolate banana smoothie from Journey Kaffe. Others were a Kung Fu Tea black tea slush from the Zhongxiao Dunhua flagship store of TKK's Fried Chicken, Alishan green tea from Ji Long Tang's Shipai branch, Hokkaido milk-flavored ice cream at Chongqing South branch of Rododo Hot Pot, jasmine green tea from Sun Woo Tea, and jasmine green tea from the Tianjin branch of Kiyohara Potato Ball.
Entrance to Journey Kaffe. (Taipei City Government Department of Health photo)
The health department said testing for Enterobacteriaceae is not only an important way to assess the safety of water and food, but it is also an indicator of a given vendor's level of sanitation. Levels that exceed the safety standard could indicate that the food has been contaminated during the production process or that the personal hygiene of the staff is poor.
It said that excessive levels of Enterobacteriaceae will negatively impact food quality and reduce shelf life. The department reminded businesses to pay attention to the production process, environmental sanitation, and self-monitoring.
Sun Woo Tea counter. (Taipei City Government Department of Health photo)
Employees should also pay attention to personal hygiene and frequently wash their hands. Workers should also pay attention to the storage refrigerator temperature, store unused ingredients in a freezer in a timely manner, and replace the filter of the ice maker or water dispenser regularly to ensure the safety of consumers, the health department urged.
Entrance to Rododo Hot Pot. (Taipei City Government Department of Health photo)