October 28, 2009

A decision by Taiwan to import more high-risk US beef products has hurled the island's ruling party into its worst internal row yet, with leading members Tuesday (Oct 27) openly urging a boycott over health concerns.

 

In a rare rebuke of the central government, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-pin opposed the government's decision to allow imports of US beef offal, ground beef and spinal cords. He added that the city government will take steps to boycott the decision by encouraging the city's 15,000 hotels, department stores, hyper-marts and restaurants to form an alliance whose members will reject the sale of such products or their use as ingredients, over health concerns.

 

In addition, Taipei County's health authorities said the county government will demand beef traders or retailers clearly identify the origin of their products so that consumers will be able to knowingly make choices on their own.

 

The city's officials will also step up inspection of shops that have not joined the alliance after the US beef products are formally allowed to enter Taiwan next month.

 

Yeh Ching-yuan, director of the city's Rules and Regulations Commission, said the municipal government has the authority to conduct spot checks or regular checks on products that are likely to harm human health or personal property in accordance with the country's Consumers Protection Act.

 

Under the law, the city government is also authorised to impose fines ranging between NT$30,000 (US$923) and NT$300,000 on companies that do not cooperate in investigations or spot checks.

 

Alliance members who are found using the banned US beef products will be asked to stop such practices within a specified period of time. Those who fail to comply within the deadline can be fined between NT$60,000 and NT$1.5 million in line with the law. 

 

Meanwhile, the response to Taipei's boycott in other cities and counties were mixed, with some saying they would consider following suit after getting more information about the city's measures while others indicated no interest in taking similar moves.

 

On the other hand, Wang Yu-chi, spokesman for the Presidential Office, said Taiwan has applied standards that are stricter than the requirements set by the World Organisation for Animal Health and the European Union in its beef import negotiations with the US and denied that the government has taken a weaker stance on the issue.

 

He added that the government will make every possible effort to prevent US beef offal with specific risk materials from entering Taiwan after the new market opening measures take effect.

 

The Cabinet-level Department of Health (DOH) announced on October 23 that Taiwan would expand its market access for US beef after officials of the two countries reached an agreement to lift the ban.

 

Under the terms of the new accord, US bone-in beef, ground beef, intestines, brains, spinal cords and processed beef from cattle younger than 30 months that have not been contaminated with "specific risk materials" will be allowed to enter Taiwan with effect from November 10 this year.

 

Specific risk materials are defined in the protocol as brains, skulls, eyes, trigeminal ganglia, spinal cords, vertebral columns and dorsal root ganglia from cattle 30 months of age and older, or tonsils and the distal ileum of the small intestine from cattle of all ages.

 

Currently, Taiwan only allows imports of US boneless beef from cattle younger than 30 months which do not contain such risky materials.

 

US$1=NT$32.49 (Oct 28)