Are Thai Rice Crackers Illegally Dyed in Taiwan?

On January 9, 2024, Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration released a list of border inspection failures, revealing that a batch of rice crackers from Thailand contained illegal food coloring agents.

The notification indicated that the manufacturing factory or exporter in Thailand was identified as KAOTAN MAEBUACHAN GROUP, while the importer in Taiwan was Golden Limited Company, and the product brand was MAEBUACHAN.

It was discovered that this batch of rice crackers contained the food coloring agent Sudan Red. According to the "Scope, Limitations, and Specifications for the Use of Food Additives," Sudan Red is not an approved food additive. This violation is contrary to Article 18 of the Food Safety and Sanitation Management Act.

A total of 31.50 kilograms of non-compliant products have been either returned or destroyed as a result. The incident raises concerns about the safety and regulatory oversight of imported food products in Taiwan.