January 15, 2010

First shipment of US bone-in beef to arrive in Taiwan

Taiwan will welcome its first batch of US bone-in beef Friday and the Bureau of Standards, Meteorology and Inspection (BSMI) hopes to complete inspection within three days.

The bureau, in collaboration with the Department of Heath, will check the beef shipment in accordance with food inspection procedures to ensure that the product is safe for local consumption, according to BSMI Deputy Director-General Huang Lai-ho.

The procedure will begin with checks to make sure that the product conforms to the information on the accompanying certificates, Huang said.

According to US law, American beef exporters are required to submit three Quality System Assessment (QSA) certificates issued by the USDA - beef safety certificates, quarantine certificates, and beef export certificates - for shipments to Taiwan.

Inspectors will then check the temperature before opening the crates to ensure all chilled or frozen products are kept at the correct temperature to avoid the risk of cross contamination or food poisoning.

BSMI inspectors will then take samples for laboratory testing, mainly to determine the microbiological condition of the beef and whether it contains any drug or chemical residues.