Copper sulphate feed scandal in Taiwan

The Council of Agriculture in Taiwan’s capital Taipei said prosecutors are investigating the alleged use of industrial copper sulphate in animal feed.

 

The council made the remarks in response to a report in the Chinese-language Next Magazine, which said that three or four companies had bought industrial copper sulphate and it suspected that meat from animals that had been given feed containing the substance had already entered the market.

 

The magazine said the companies bought the substance from a Taoyuan County-based company called Amia Co.

In a statement Amia said it did not sell industrial copper sulphate to feed companies or poultry farmers.

Animal Industry Department Deputy Director Lee Chun-chin at a press conference said that, after getting the report on Dec. 1 last year, inspections by the council found that of the six companies that had bought industrial copper sulphate from Amia, one had sold the substance to four animal feed factories.

The company’s feed had been found to contain copper sulphate exceeding standard limits, and it also violated the law by only having a animal feed vendor registration certificate, but not a certificate to import or manufacture animal feed containing copper sulphate.

Lawmakers in Taiwan said the public was losing confidence in the council’s abilities and its problem-solving skills in light of the recent string of issues concerning food safety.