Print

Mail

wiki links

Consumer groups join call for new ban on US beef

Consumer advocates yesterday called on the government to immediately ban imports of US beef after an older animal on a US ranch was suspected of having the lethal mad cow disease.

The advocates argued that since the case was discovered at the end of last year, the government's decision in mid-April to lift a 16-month-old ban on US beef was even more questionable.

"When the government decided to open the doors to US beef imports in April, it said the risk was very low -- even though the US is still identified as an area where bovine spongiform encephalopathy [BSE, or mad-cow disease] remains a threat," Terry Huang (黃怡騰), secretary-general of the Consumers' Foundation (消基會), told reporters yesterday morning. "But now, a second suspected case has surfaced."

The foundation criticized the government for adopting contradictory positions in upholding food safety.

The government adopted a tough stance and ordered product recalls when dealing with food scares involving baby milk powder, the poisoning of energy drinks and the illegal sale of meat from sick and dead pigs, the foundation said.

"However, over the past month, Taiwanese consumers continued eating US beef. The government is taking a huge gamble with people's lives," said the foundation's chairman, Jason Lee (李鳳翱).

According to Article 10 and Article 36 of the Consumer Protection Law (消保法), products that may jeopardize consumers' health and safety should be immediately recalled, Lee said.

Hsiao Tung-ming (蕭東銘), deputy director of the food safety bureau under the Department of Health, said if the suspected case sent to the UK lab is confirmed, the government will immediately suspend imports of US beef.

But for now, he said, there was no reason to believe the beef on the market was dangerous.

"All the US beef products here are safe, and therefore there is no need to demand recalls and destruction," Hsiao said.

Currently, only boneless meat from cattle younger than 30 months can enter Taiwan's market. Cattle parts such as intestines and tonsils, which have a higher risk of being contaminated, are still prohibited.

Despite the alarming news of a second suspected case, major retailers said their US beef sales had not suffered.

"US beef has its own loyal customers. Those who dare not eat it will still stay away from it anyway. We haven't seen a marked difference in the sales," said Ahmen Lee (李伯孟), regional marketing manager at the members-only Costco Taiwan.

Costco has sold an average of 22.5 tonnes of US beef, or NT$10 million (US$320,000), per week since imports were conditionally resumed on April 16.

Taiwan purchased US$325 million of US beef and beef products in 2003 and was the sixth-largest importer of US beef before it imposed the ban in December 2003.

Lobo Lee (李森斌), general manager of the Wang Group, said that a possible ban on US beef would have little impact on their business, since consumers care the most about their beef's taste and quality, rather than its origin.

Wang Group, which runs nearly 40 steakhouses nationwide under the high-priced Wang Steaks, and middle-priced Tasty and Tao Ban House outlets, now sees US beef account for 60 percent of its stock, with the rest imported from Australia and New Zealand.
This story has been viewed 1638 times.