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Consumer groups call for regulations for chopsticks

Consumer protection groups yesterday called on the government to introduce standard regulations for the inspection of disposable chopsticks, amid fears that a large percentage of such chopsticks imported from China may be made from illegally recycled material.

The groups made the appeal at a press conference held by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇).

"About 5 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks are imported to Taiwan every year, 2.3 billion of these are from China. The lack of inspection standards and regulations may jeopardize people's health," Tien said.

"China has enacted regulations on the inspection of chopsticks, and as a result discovered the problem of recycled chopsticks. In this regard, Taiwan is behind China," Secretary-General of the Green Consumers' Foundation Fang Chien (方儉) said.

Tien said that she had asked the Department of Health about this, but the ministry had rejected her suggestion, stating that the trace amount of sulfur dioxide on disposable chopsticks was not harmful.

She urged the public to soak disposable chopsticks in hot water for three to five minutes if they had no other option but to use them.

"The sulfur dioxide is a particular concern for people with asthma, who may suffer a shortage of breath, diarrhea or vomiting as a consequence of their reaction to it," Tien said.

Yen Mei-chuan (顏美娟), president of the Homemakers' Union and Foundation, urged people to use their own chopsticks wherever possible.

"If everyone has their own re-usable chopsticks, the amount of garbage generated per person will reduce by 11kg a year," Yeh said.
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