Taipei: The Hsinchu City government announced an expansion of testing for rice noodle products manufactured locally after discovering that several products contained formaldehyde, a substance banned as a food additive due to its classification as a human carcinogen.

According to Focus Taiwan, Hsinchu Mayor Kao Hung-an revealed at a news conference that from July 16-27, the city collected 28 samples from 16 manufacturers of rice noodles and rice vermicelli. These samples were sent to the Food Industry Research and Development Institute (FIRDI) for formaldehyde testing on Tuesday, with results anticipated on Friday. The findings will be published on the city's food safety website.

The issue first surfaced when the Tainan City government notified Hsinchu authorities on May 27 that steamed rice noodles from Hsinchu-based Ming Hao Enterprise tested positive for formaldehyde. In response, Hsinchu authorities, in collaboration with the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA), inspected the company's facilities on June 3. They collected samples and ordered a recall of affected products. Preliminary tests confirmed formaldehyde presence on June 8, leading to a halt in sales, sealing of products, imposition of penalties, and referral of the case for further investigation.

Further developments on July 18 saw the Hsinchu City Public Health Bureau announcing that three rice vermicelli products under the Nong Geng and Feng Cheng brands tested positive for formaldehyde and were recalled. This led to accusations of a seven-week cover-up by the city government, which Mayor Kao refuted, stating that the incident was managed according to established food safety procedures.

The bureau highlighted that the central government's routine testing for rice noodles focuses on sulfur dioxide, hydrogen peroxide, preservatives, microorganisms, and heavy metals, but not formaldehyde. The contamination was uncovered thanks to Tainan's expanded testing efforts. The bureau has urged the central government to incorporate formaldehyde into regular risk monitoring and self-inspection protocols for rice noodle products.