Baby food products found to contain heavy metalsBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe Taipei Department of Health on Monday said its latest inspection of children’s snacks found four among 10 tested snack products — all containing seaweed — sold through online channels had heavy metal levels exceeding allowable limits. Department of Health senior specialist Lin Meng-hui (林夢蕙) said the department randomly selected 50 children’s snack products for inspection and tested for preservatives, coloring agents, sweeteners, banned or restricted pigments, and heavy metals. Department of Health specialist Huang Ching-yao (黃敬堯) said the children’s food products included candies, jelly, dried seafood products, rice crackers and other foods, and that 40 products were purchased from physical stores, while 10 were from online channels. A bag of South Korean Ibobomi kids’ seaweed flakes is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of the Taipei Department of HealthAll products bought from physical stores passed the tests, but four seaweed-related products from online shops were found to contain heavy metals — lead and cadmium — exceeding allowable limits, Huang said.

Source: Taipei Times April 01, 2026 20:12 UTC