May 3, 2012

Taiwan intensifies US beef import inspections

Taiwan's government has improved its checks on beef imports after last week's detection of mad cow disease in the US, Health Minister Chiu Wen-ta said Monday (Apr 30), as reported by Taiwan's official Central News Agency.

All US beef imports, already being checked by batch for residues of the controversial leanness-enhancing drug ractopamine, will be checked by customs authorities for specified risk materials in light of the mad cow case in California, the minister said.

"If we find any residues of specified risk materials in US beef, we will stop the imports immediately and ask the US authorities for an explanation," Chiu said at a legislative committee hearing, the news agency reported.