Taipei: Nearly 4 metric tons of Chinese mitten crab was stopped at Taiwan's border after tests found traces of a banned veterinary drug, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) said Tuesday. The crab meat, imported by Taoyuan-based Ruiheng International Trade Co., contained 0.04 ppm of sulfadiazine, which is not permitted in crustaceans under Taiwan's food safety standards.

According to Focus Taiwan, Liu Fang-ming, director of the FDA's Northern Taiwan Management Center, told a news conference that the entire 3,915-kg shipment has been ordered either returned or destroyed. Liu warned that long-term consumption of seafood contaminated with such substances could lead to antibiotic resistance, making infections harder or impossible to treat.

He mentioned it was the first failed batch among three shipments of Chinese mitten crabs tested this year. Taiwan has required 100 percent inspection of mitten crab from China for drug residues, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyls since 2007. In 2024, 31 batches were inspected, with one rejected for excessive dioxin levels.

The crabs were among 11 imported food products, including melons from Japan, fish cakes from Indonesia, radish leaves from China, and lettuce from Malaysia, that failed recent border inspections. A batch of Australian oranges imported by Costco Taiwan also tested positive for the growth regulator gibberellin A3, which is banned in citrus fruits. The 18,000-kg shipment was ordered destroyed or returned, Liu said, adding that future Costco imports of oranges will face enhanced inspection rates of 20 to 50 percent.