TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the latest products that have failed border inspections, including the U.S. seasoning product Jane’s Krazy Mixed-Up Salt.

The FDA said that one batch of seasoning salt was found to have a residual carcinogen, ethylene oxide, which is prohibited in Taiwan. According to customs requirements, failure to comply with testing means the entire shipment needs to be returned or destroyed.

The FDA announced 10 other branded products were stopped by customs for violating food safety standards. Other items included Vietnamese fresh chicory, Indonesian white pepper, and other items with excessive pesticide residues or reasons to prevent their entry into Taiwan, requiring products to be either returned or destroyed, per CNA.

Regarding Jane’s Krazy Mixed-Up Salt, one batch contained 4.1 mg/kg of residual pesticide, ethylene oxide. As a result, 2.4 kg of the product was returned or destroyed.

FDA Deputy Director Lin Chin-fu (林金富) said that ethylene oxide has been classified as a first-level carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) under the World Health Organization (WHO). It is used in most countries for the disinfection of medical devices, with only a few allowing it to be used for the insecticidal fumigation of dried spices and other foods.

According to FDA statistics, 360 batches of seasoning spices imported into the United States were submitted for inspection from January 29 to July 29 this year. Of this amount, 11 batches, or approximately 3.1%, were deemed unqualified due to the detection of ethylene oxide.