Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will soon launch a comprehensive inspection of beverage chains to address consumers' concerns about pesticide residues in their drinks.
The FDA’s announcement on Wednesday came after a local beverage chain was found selling drinks containing traces of DDT, an insecticide long-banned because of the damage it causes to the environment.
Stornaway, the Tainan-based chain that sold the tainted drinks, apologized on Tuesday. It said 70 kilograms of rose tea have been removed from its 96 outlets in Taiwan following the discovery of the toxic insecticide. Health officials took samples of the rose tea leaves from the chain's Miaoli branch for tests last week after a consumer complained of feeling dizzy after drinking the chain's rose tea. The tests revealed traces of agricultural chemicals, including DDT.