December 3, 2020

Taiwan Pork logo launched to promote locally sourced pork

A new branding initiative called 'Taiwan Pork' was launched in Taiwan to distinguish restaurants and shops that use locally sourced pork in their establishments, Focus Taiwan reported.

The new logo shows a gold pig on a green background, accompanied with the words 'Taiwan Pork' in English and Chinese.

According to Taiwan's Council of Agriculture (COA) Minister Chen Chi-chung, the establishment must source 99% of the pork's raw materials locally from its skin to offal to qualify for the Taiwan Pork logo. One of the few exceptions includes sausage casings.

Lin Tsung-hsien, chairman of the National Animal Industry Foundation, said sausage casings are exempted as the majority of businesses in Taiwan source casings from Europe.

Lin said they have received 5,500 applications for the logo so far.

Theodore Huang, chairman of the Taipei-based Teco Group, which operates the MOS Burger fast food restaurant chain in the country, said his 284 MOS Burger outlets have been approved to carry the new logo.

Chen said they are expecting more than 15,000 applications by the end of this year.

This new initiative comes as Taiwan opens its market to pork from the United States containing ractopamine from January next year. Critics of Taiwan's government decision to ease ractopamine regulations said it does not prioritise Taiwanese people's health or the interests of domestic swine farmers.

- Focus Taiwan