Taipei, May 20 (CNA) Imported eggs and egg-based products will not be allowed to enter Taiwan without food safety certifications beginning in August amid a Fipronil scare in Europe and Asia, a food safety official said Monday.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) senior specialist Tung Ching-hsin (董靜馨) said eggs and egg products need to be highly regulated because of the risk of contamination during processing, which is why the official food safety permits are needed.

The requirement for a permit from the exporting country will cover fresh eggs, whole egg liquid, liquid egg whites, liquid egg yolks, whole egg powder and yolk powder and take effect on Aug 1.

The FDA has conducted systematic inspections of imported eggs since the beginning of the year, Tung said.

Also, first-time importers must have their plants inspected by the FDA to ensure its sanitary standards, she added.

The move is a response to the fipronil egg scare that has troubled some European and Asian countries over the past two years.

Fipronil is a broad-spectrum insecticide that kills fleas but it may also contaminate soil and animals when used at a poultry farm.

A total of 2,661 metric tons of eggs and derivative products from the United States, Italy, Ukraine, France and India were imported into Taiwan in 2018, according to FDA data. 

Source:  Chang M & Lim E, Focus Taiwan