Taiwan: Ramen Noodle Manufacturer Fined for Illegal Ingredients

Sing-Lin Foods Corp. was yesterday fined by Nantou's Health Bureau for lying about the number of their noodle products that contained sodium copper chlorophyllin, a food additive not allowed in noodle products. The company announced on Wednesday that three of its Wu-Mu Ramen products had been taken off shelves in accordance with the law. According to the bureau, at least 12 of the noodle products that Sing-Ling Foods Corp. produces contain sodium copper chlorophyllin, eight of which were produced on behalf of other companies. Officials said that the company had violated the Act Governing Food Sanitation and that it will be fined between NT$30,000 and NT$3 million. Sing-Ling Foods Corp. said that it has notified retailers in the United States, Canada, Singapore, and several European countries to take three of its products off market shelves. Standard Foods Corporation, which authorities said had purchased sodium copper chlorophyllin from Chin Haoo Trading Co., Ltd., yesterday passed the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) inspections. The company said that it had only added sodium copper chlorophyllin in beverages and dried vegetables, which is not against regulations. FDA Division Director Feng Jun-lan said that officials have not discovered any questionable products manufactured by Standard Foods Corporation so far, but that officials will continue to look into the firm's cooking oil products. FDA Director Yeh Ming-kung yesterday said that the administration has discovered an effective method to test cooking oils for copper chlorophyllin complex. Yeh said that the new method may very well prove to be the best way in the world to test the amount of copper chlorophyllin complex in cooking oils. According to Yeh, the FDA will apply this method to inspect cooking oils manufactured by Wei Chuan and other companies. There has been no recall in the United States Yet.