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Taiwan Quick Take

■ Health
`Five a day' scheme pushed
The Department of Health and the Council of Agriculture have been working on a "Five a Day" plan to promote the eating at least five servings of fruit and vegetables per day, a department official said yesterday. Director of the Bureau of Food Sanitation Cheng Huei-wen (鄭慧文) said the two bodies were promoting the plan by introducing packs containing three types of vegetables and two pieces of fruit to supermarkets and agricultural product marketing centers around the nation to make it easier for consumers to achieve the five a day goal. An investigation by the DOH showed that 96 percent of Taiwanese realize the importance of a balanced diet, but 80 percent do not eat enough fruit and vegetables, especially those who eat out. The investigation also revealed that convenient buying channels would increase consumption.

■ Health
Hog breeders ink pledge
Local hog breeders signed a self-regulation convention yesterday as a pledge to provide consumers with pork from healthy hogs in the wake of reports of meat from sick and dead hogs being sold in local markets. Pork sales have been affected nationwide since police cracked down on illicit trading of diseased and dead hogs in central and southern Taiwan earlier this month. News reports claim that the illicit sales of substandard pork from sick and dead hogs have been going on for many years, with buyers including vendors at traditional markets, restaurant operators and food processing businesses around the nation. The signing took place at the office of the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine and was witnessed by Council of Agriculture officials. The signatories also urged local hog breeders to support the practice of applying for life insurance for their livestock as part of efforts to stem illicit trading of sick and dead hogs.

■ Education
New books `unconstitutional'
Pan-blue lawmakers yesterday threatened to call for a constitutional interpretation of high school history textbook changes that present Taiwan and China as two nations. Textbook revisions and changes to the names of scores of institutions so that the word "China" is no longer in them are unconstitutional, People First Party legislator Lee Fu-tien (李復甸) said at a joint press conference with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers. "Our Constitution expressly refers to Taiwan and China as one nation, the Republic of China," Lee said, adding the changes also violated freedom of expression. "This is part of a brainwashing strategy that goes right to the heart of a people: the youth," he said. The lawmakers also threatened to nix a budget review for school textbooks in the legislature unless the education ministry agreed to stall their publication.

■ Politics
Chen Chi-mai takes post
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) announced several major appointments yesterday, including that of Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), a former legislator and former acting Kaohsiung mayor, who will serve as deputy secretary-general of the Presidential Office. Chen Chi-mai will fill the vacancy left by Liu Shih-feng (劉世芳), who will move to the post of deputy secretary-general of the National Security Council. NSC Deputy Secretary-General Wang Hsi-tien (王西田) will serve as the council's new deputy director. The appointments will take effect on Monday.


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