TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Tuesday (May 21) that three batches of fresh cherries from the U.S. failed inspection due to fungicide residue levels.

FDA Deputy Director Lin Chin-fu (林金富) said the American cherries were detected with residue from the fungicide mefentrifluconazole ranging from 0.05 to 0.17 ppm. In Taiwan, this fungicide is used by pear and apple orchard growers, but use is prohibited with cherry trees, as no maximum residue level (MRL) exists for cherries.

U.S. authorities applied to the FDA to set an MRL for cherries in September 2023. A review is ongoing with no timetable for establishing an MRL for the fungicide, per BCC.

The FDA said that cherries totaling 2,340 kilograms (2.34 tons) are the first to be seized this year and the first harvest associated with this year's U.S. cherry production season. The confiscated cherries will either be returned or destroyed.

Lin said the fungicide mefentrifluconazole is also used in China, and trace MRL is permitted on pears (1.5 ppm) and apples (0.9 ppm), but no MRL has been set for cherries. Lin said the smallest trace residue would compromise shipments.

The U.S. cherry production season runs from May to September, and the FDA has strengthened batch sampling for imported cherries from the U.S. The sampling inspection rate can increase from 20% to 50% based on a manufacturer's record, including failure rate and risk level. 

In the past six months, 46 batches of cherries were submitted for inspection. Out of 14 batches randomly chosen, three batches were unqualified for consumption.