March 20, 2012

 

Taiwan will reveal farmers using feed additives

 

 

According to Vice Premier Jiang Yi-huah, pig farmers who use ractopamine will be revealed to the public, adding that it would not violate laws related to personal privacy.

 

Publishing the names adheres with the Personal Information Protection Act and the Freedom of Government Information Act, Jiang said following the second inter-ministerial task force meeting convened to coordinate actions following the latest food safety crisis to rock the nation.

 

The shipment-by-shipment border beef inspections scheduled to begin at 12am tomorrow will cost the Department of Health about TWD10 million (US$338,300) a month, Jiang said.

 

He added that the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the department would explain the tighter border control procedures to foreign envoys whose countries export beef to Taiwan.

 

Jiang was referring to new measures whereby companies previously discovered to have imported products containing banned leanness-enhancing drugs will have 100% of their beef imports examined by customs officials. Beef importers who have no previous violations will have 5% of their shipments examined.

 

According to Jiang, to improve the publics involvement in food safety protection, the department has proposed expanding the number of private food safety laboratories, recruiting food inspection volunteers and promoting self-policing among food manufacturers.

 

The department also proposed establishing a centre for research and food safety education, while integrating private sector resources, he said.

 

Meanwhile, Premier Sean Chen yesterday reiterated during his first factory stay in Yunlin County that the government would not lift the ban on imports of pork that contain residues of the lean-meat enhancing drug ractopamine.

 

This was a policy direction as well as a commitment, he said.

 

However, regarding the governments proposed acceptance of US beef containing safe levels of ractopamine residues, he said the four-point policy was designed to protect the health of Taiwanese.

 

In addition to allowing a safe level of ractopamine to be measured in beef, the four-point policy includes issuing separate permits for the import of beef and pork, which Chen said would protect the rights of local hog farmers, as the nations pork to beef consumption ratio is 9:1.

 

According to Chen, 80% of the public support the government's proposal to exclude imports of beef offal from the US.