Popular wholesale retailer Costco Taiwan is hit once again with food safety concerns as consumers notice irregularities in their food product purchases.
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Costco has long been known to be a hit with Taiwanese consumers who always love a bargain and enjoy shopping at the big-box wholesale retailer store.
However, the company has had to deal with a number of food safety issues this year. Just this April and May, Costco’s frozen berries tested positive for hepatitis A and were recalled. In July and August, cheese tainted with ethylene oxide, a potential cancer-inducing chemical, also had to be recalled.
Now, a consumer has complained of finding a cigarette butt in a recently bought package of clams. One can even see the tobacco leaves soaking in the water together with the clams.
In response to the complaint, Costco said that there have been no other complaints and so believes this is a single incident. It also mentioned that their work area is a low-temperature, non-smoking area so the chances of foreign objects getting into food products are extremely low. Nonetheless, they will improve the training of staff on the matter.
Taipei City’s Health Department has already sent personnel to conduct an investigation and has listed the company to undergo more stringent inspections in the future.
Most people enjoy smoked clams but in this particular case, it would all depend on how it’s been prepared.