Photo courtesy of the Food and Drug Administration
Taipei, July 4 (CNA) Baby bottles imported from Japan were recently seized by customs officials in Taiwan, after tests indicated they contained a chemical banned in Taiwan in bottles used to feed babies and infants, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Tuesday.
The bottles from Japan were among a number of problematic imports seized after border inspections in Taiwan recently, the FDA said, adding that none of the bottles were sold locally.
Samples from the baby bottles -- imported by a Taiwanese company based in New Taipei -- were found to contain traces of 36 ppb of Bisphenol A (BPA) -- a chemical that is used to harden plastics, according to the FDA.
Taiwan's Sanitation Standard for Food Utensils, Containers and Packages stipulates that BPA cannot be used in the manufacture of baby bottles and so the 120 kilograms of products seized had to be destroyed or returned, the FDA said.
The possible health risks of BPA include disrupting normal hormone levels and development in fetuses, babies and children; brain and behavior problems in infants and young children; and heart problems in adults.
