September 3, 2025 – Taipei
The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) announced Tuesday that multiple batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were found to contain Orange G, a coloring agent prohibited in food products.
According to the agency, three shipments of UFC Banana Sauce brought in by a single importer tested positive for the industrial dye. Under Taiwan’s Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, Orange G is not an approved additive. The affected products must either be shipped back to the exporter or destroyed.
Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), who heads the TFDA’s Northern Center for Regional Administration, emphasized that the substance is banned in Taiwan and many other countries due to safety concerns.
Inspection records show that over the past six months, Taiwan received 164 batches of condiments from the Philippines. While most passed screening, three were flagged—all because of Orange G contamination. As a result, from Sept. 3, 2025, to Sept. 2, 2026, all condiment imports from the Philippines will be subjected to 100% border testing for artificial dye compliance.
The TFDA also disclosed its latest list of border inspection failures, which included 18 products ranging from Chinese mulberry tea powder to American mustard, rejected for exceeding pesticide residue limits or violating additive regulations. These shipments were likewise ordered returned or destroyed.
In addition, three batches of Vietnamese durians were recently found with unsafe levels of pesticide residues. Authorities said that until Oct. 1, 2025, every durian shipment from Vietnam will be tested upon arrival. Between February 25 and August 25, Taiwan imported 723 batches of durians from Vietnam, with 19 failing inspection due to pesticide or cadmium contamination.
