The Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday that of all new US beef products to be imported into Taiwan, tongues will be subject to the most rigorous inspections because of the higher risks associated with beef tongues.
Director-General of the DOH’s Food and Drug Administration Kang Jaw-jou (康照洲) made the remarks after an announcement promulgated by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Friday on its Web site that exports of beef products to Taiwan will include tongues, testicles and tails.
“The following fresh and/or frozen beef products: bones with meat, hanging tenders, tongues, penis, testes, tails, tendons and skirts [diaphragm], derived from cattle less than 30 months of age slaughtered on or after April 1, 2010,” read the announcement detailing export requirements for Taiwan (www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/Taiwan_Requirements/index.asp).
Kang said that except for tongues, all other beef parts would be subject to 5 percent examination — the same level as for US bone-in beef that was cleared for import earlier.
He added that the new beef parts meet Taiwan’s Act Governing Food Sanitation (食品衛生管理法).
He was referring to the amendment passed by the legislature on Jan. 5 this year that targets beef products from countries with documented cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, over the past decade. The amendment effectively bars US ground beef, beef offal and other beef parts such as the skull, eyes and intestines from access, contravening a bilateral protocol signed by Taiwan and the US in October last year.
Executive Yuan spokesman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said last night that the government will all conduct necessary measures to examine safety and quality of US beef products and to ensure the public’s health.
The importers of US beef parts on the new list, other than tongues, will be required to apply to the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Bureau of Foreign Trade for import permission and the DOH will conduct the checks on the products.
The Consumers’ Foundation yesterday demanded that the DOH and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs clearly explain whether allowing importation of the new US beef products means offal will be included.
Chairman of the foundation Hsieh Tien-jen (謝天仁) said he has reminded the DOH that the US and Taiwan can review the beef protocol 180 days after it was signed.
Saying that the USDA’s latest announcement proves that the foundation’s worries are not unwarranted, Hsieh said consumers should not let down their guard despite the legislature’s action.
“In order to protect their own health, consumers should actively join a signature drive for a national referendum on reopening beef talks with the United States,” Hsieh said.
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