January 5, 2007

GPS technology helps prevent sale of diseased pork in Taiwan
 

A new Taiwanese policy installing GPS (Global Positioning System) trackers on trucks carrying diseased pork is thought to prevent as much as 30,000 tonnes of diseased pork from entering the market each year.

In June 2005, Taiwan enacted a law requiring all 125 licensed trucks carrying diseased pigs to install a global positioning system (GPS).

The measure saw a significant increase in diseased pork being sent to designated feed-processing plants. In the months from October to November 2005 a total of 8,622 tonnes of diseased pork was sent to the plants, more than double the amount from the year before.

The measure was adopted to facilitate the Environmental Protection Administration's monitoring of the trucks to ensure that the diseased animals are sent to designated plants after reports of unscrupulous traders selling diseased pork to restaurants and food manufacturers.