Taipei: A batch of grape seed oil imported from Japan has been blocked at Taiwan's border after testing revealed excessive levels of a food processing contaminant classified as a potential carcinogen, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) said Tuesday. The oil contained 1,578 micrograms per kilogram of glycidyl fatty acid esters, which exceeds the national safety limit of 1,000 micrograms per kilogram, as shown by the agency's March 19 testing.

According to Focus Taiwan, these esters are known to form during high-temperature refining processes such as deodorization, deacidification, and bleaching of vegetable oils. The TFDA warned in its weekly briefing that long-term exposure may pose health risks, including cancer. The affected shipment, totaling 10.66 kilograms, was imported by Yumaowu Enterprise Co.

Due to two consecutive weeks of non-compliance, the importer will now face stricter inspections, moving from random checks to mandatory batch-by-batch testing, TFDA Deputy Director-General Lin Chin-fu announced. The grape seed oil was among seven non-compliant products flagged in the TFDA's latest border inspection report, several of which also originated in Japan.

Other problematic imports included seaweed products such as mehijiki and mozuku, which were found to contain excessive levels of inorganic arsenic, a toxic heavy metal that can cause health issues. The agency confirmed that all non-compliant shipments have been either returned or destroyed.