An audit found that 150 elementary and junior high schools in New Taipei may have served produce that failed pesticide checks last year — bad news for parents, and a blow to Taiwan's food-safety certification system.

• Auditors told the city council that 150 schools may have used fruit and vegetables that failed pesticide testing in the first half of last year, with six schools affected three times.
• City officials say all ingredients came from suppliers carrying Taiwan's official food-safety labels and traceability QR codes, and urged parents not to panic.
• Follow-up checks confirmed 37 schools actually used the flagged food, which was pulled immediately; one more bad batch turned up this year.
• Opposition council members are asking why the problem surfaced only through an audit and want the government to strip certification from suppliers that fail.
• The certified labels did not stop tainted produce from reaching school cafeterias, pointing to weak checks at the source.

Outlook: The city has asked the agriculture ministry to tighten its review and tracking of certified suppliers, so expect pressure to overhaul the labeling system rather than just pull individual shipments.