■ Health
Kids need regular snacks
Unlike adults, it is important for young children of kindergarten age to snack regularly, in order to get their required nutrients, officials from the Taipei City Government's Department of Health said yesterday. "This doesn't mean that they should only eat cakes and sweets though," Deputy Director of the Department of Health Promotion Lee Chieh-fang (李玠芳) said. However, according to a survey conducted by the John Tung Foundation, in which 742 kindergartens across Taiwan participated, snacks that were high in sugar, salt and oil content were dished out to children in five out of 10 snack times during the course of the week. In a move to promote a "healthy eating culture," the Xinyi District Health Center in Taipei City, in addition to educating kindergarten kitchen staff about children's nutrition needs, has also created recipes for healthy eating which can be obtained by calling (02) 2723-4598, extension 261.
■ Earthquake
Temblor shakes Taipei
An earthquake measuring 4.0 on the Richter scale hit Taipei and the surrounding area yesterday, causing buildings to sway, according to seismologists. The quake came amid a controversial warning that the weight of the world's tallest skyscraper may cause an increase in temblors. The quake struck at 18:15pm with an epicenter around 7.3km southeast of the capital, the Seismology Center said. The tremor, which originated 64.3km below the earth, was strongly felt in Taipei, although there were no immediate reports of damage.
■ Food safety
DOH may toughen laws
The Department of Health (DOH) has recently completed a proposed amendment to laws concerning food product management in an effort to stop dishonest food producers from selling substandard food that is hazardous to health. The problem of food safety is a perennial concern among consumers because of frequent news reports exposing the sale of dangerous food such as pork from sick hogs and contaminated cooked eggs. In the proposed amendment, punishments for dishonesty in the food businesses will be stiffened, allowing health authorities to ban problematic goods from being traded as soon as they are found to contain toxic or hazardous substances, or to carry no descriptions or incomplete descriptions of their contents.
■ Environment
EPA prepares trash policy
The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) will launch a publicity drive this month to prepare for the nationwide implementation of a garbage separation policy on Jan. 1. The policy, which has been enforced in 10 cities and counties nationwide since the beginning of this year, requires the public to sort their garbage into three categories -- ordinary garbage, recyclables and food scraps -- before taking it out to the garbage truck. Garbage that is not properly separated will be rejected, with offenders facing a fine of NT$1,200 to NT$6,000. The policy is set to expand to all 25 cities and counties across the nation next year. Local EPA staff will open garbage bags for inspection to see if the rules are being followed, EPA officials said. During the first three months, while the policy is being implemented, offenders will not be fined but will be given advice. Those who ignore the advice will be fined.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese