The plasticizer contamination scandal, which has swept the food beverage sector in Taiwan, has driven up the cost of fruit, said the island's statistics agency Tuesday.
The consumer price index of fruit in Taiwan soared by 21.3 percent in June year-on-year, according to a statement from the agency.
The growth rate of fruit prices was the highest since August 2008, it said.
It attributed the increase to the plasticizer scandal, which began in May.
Consumers had turned to buying fresh fruit instead of canned drinks, it said.
In May, the island's health department detected toxic plasticizers in food additives used in the production of soft drinks, tea drinks and dietary supplements. Nearly 1,000 products and 300 companies were involved.
It is hard to predict how long the contamination scandal will affect the price of fruit, said Wang Shu-chuan, an official with the statistic agency.
The island's consumer price index (CPI) rose 1.93 percent in June from a year ago and 0.61 percent from May, the highest since March 2010, due to a seasonal increase in the cost of electricity, increases in vegetable, fish and grain prices.
