Hong Kong ordered hundreds of mangoes imported from Taiwan tossed out after finding traces of coronavirus on the skin of one of the orange-hued fruits. The move is part of the Asian financial hub’s efforts to reduce the risk of imported infections. CNA

COA chief Chen Chi-chung. Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture hit back, saying the measure is not scientific and calling on the city to adopt measures in line with international norms. CNA

Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety instructed the distributor to dispose of the fruit after getting results from surveillance testing the 200kg shipment. It seemed to acknowledge the rarity of the risk, saying in the same statement that Covid-19 is predominantly transmitted through droplets and cannot multiply in food or food packaging. /MNAMacau/

The recalls add to a challenging year for mango growers in Taiwan, who are facing an expected 47 per cent fall in production to the lowest level since 1997 due to uneven flowering, low temperatures, rainfall and disease, according to Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture. /Connie Ma/