Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recalled fresh American cherries by four U.S. suppliers after they failed the test for unauthorized pesticides. The move has made Taiwan enforce a temporary one-month suspension of imports of the American stone fruit. 

Cherries were among 20 other food imports from the U.S. that did not go past lab examination. They contained slightly more than the limit of 0.01 parts in a million of mefentrifluconazole, an anti-fungal pesticide. Banana sauce from neighboring Philippines and Italian cheese were among the other items on the list.

Since March, 2023, FDA has discovered 33 shipments of American cherries exceeding the chemical limit. 

The vice chairman of FDA, Lin Chin-Fu, has since notified the American consul in Taipei of the one-month suspension. The ban will run from August 21 to September 20, 2023. 

U.S cherries are a hit in the Asian market and have recorded an impressive run this year. In Vietnam, the retail prices of U.S. imported cherries fell by nearly 50% to $10.53 per kg in week 1 of August, 2023. Vietnamese consumers celebrated the drop by uptick shopping of sweet cherries.

Cherry Outlook within the U.S.

On June 21, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recalled frozen cherries from a producer after recording potential Listeria contamination. Listeria is a bacterium that passes from contaminated food to humans.

In spite of this, American cherries are still a top produce that is poised to expand in production terms by 60% in 2023. The total output will be 371,000 metric tons, three-quarters of which coming from Washington state.

Washington cherries were selling on August 24 in the Boston terminal at $90 per 18-pound (ib) bags or 10.97 a kg.

The current average price range of U.S. cherries within the country is between $5 and $12. 

This median price was reflected in New York in the week ending August 10, 2023 where the least-priced 18-ib carton cost $45 or $5.5 per kg. Detroit and Los Angeles recorded $8.25 and $14.39 per kg respectively for 18-ib cartons of cherries.

Whether the Taiwan ban will affect prices of American cherries at home and abroad will reflect in the coming weeks.