March 13, 2012

Taipei destroys Shuh Sen's beef imports

A total of 7,490 kg of US beef imported by Shuh Sen Co was destroyed at an incinerator in suburban Taipei on Monday (Mar 12).

It was the first time US beef has been incinerated in Taiwan because of the content of a banned leanness-enhancing drug since the most recent controversy over the issue arose.

The beef was seized from the company's warehouses in Keelung and Kaohsiung.

Chen Li-chi, director of the Food and Drug Division under the Taipei City Department of Health, was on hand to witness the incineration.

"All the beef destroyed Monday was seized in February and March and one batch had the highest content of 2.9 parts per billion of ractopamine," Chen said.

Shuh Sen Co. will have to pay the city's Department of Environmental Protection TWD13,917 (US$471) to cover the cost of the beef's disposal.

A Shuh Sen official declined to comment on the total loss for the company as a result of the beef's destruction, saying only that it hopes Taiwan and the US can work out a way so that Taiwanese can eat healthily and the US can provide healthy food to Taiwan.