Amid pressure from the Consumers' Foundation and some legislators that the government destroy US beef imported to Taiwan, the Department of Health (DOH) reiterated yesterday afternoon that beef already on store shelves in Taiwan is safe and does not need to be removed.
"Although we reinstated a ban on US beef after the confirmation of a second mad-cow case, the meat currently on the shelves is safe and there is no need to recall the beef," DOH Bureau of Food Safety director Chen Lu-hung (陳陸宏) said yesterday.
He was responding to criticism that the DOH is ignoring public health over the US beef issue.
PHOTO: YANG YA-MIN, TAIPEI TIMES
The DOH's announcement came after reassurances from the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) that US beef does not pose a threat to public health.
"We hope Taiwan will move swiftly to re-open the beef market after the AIT shares detailed information on the recent [bovine spongiform encephalopathy] BSE detection," AIT Director Douglas Paal said yesterday morning during a press conference at the American Cultural Center.
"I would also like to take this opportunity to guarantee to Taiwan customers that the US beef you have been eating and enjoying in great numbers has been, and continues to be, safe," he added.
The AIT held a press conference yesterday to dispel public fears about the safety of US beef.
According to Paal, who appeared at the Taipei Food Show earlier this month to promote US beef, the second confirmed case of mad-cow disease was discovered through a re-examination of an old sample from last year. The test result of this sample was not connected to the beef imported to Taiwan and therefore there is no threat to public health.
Lawmakers yesterday grilled the DOH for "fawning" on the US by insisting on keeping its beef on the market despite the so-called "mad cow threat."
"The DOH's decision to lift the ban on imports of US beef in mid-April and its refusal to recall the meat at stores now is based on political considerations," said Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Joanna Lei (雷倩). "We demand the department end its `beef diplomacy' and stop trading people's lives for diplomatic space."
Responding to the accusations from opposition legislators and the Consumers' Foundation, the DOH yesterday reiterated that the beef was safe and its continued presence on the shelves had nothing to do with political considerations.
After a second case of BSE, or mad-cow disease, was confirmed in the US, the DOH reimposed a ban on US beef imports on Saturday.
The reinstatement of the ban generated concerns from consumer groups that the government should not have lifted the ban on US beef imports in April. They pointed to Japan and South Korea, which did not lift their respective bans on US beef.
Taiwan is the sixth-largest market for US beef, and US$325 million in beef was sold in 2003. Japan is the No.1 market, and was worth NT$1.4 billion in the same year. The first case of the disease in the US was confirmed on Dec. 24, 2003. Taiwan banned US beef imports a week later.
Also see story:
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS