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Official blames crab block on China

Hairy crabs from China can be imported into Taiwan, but only if they meet inspection criteria, a Department of Health (DOH) official said yesterday.

Bureau of Food Safety director Cheng Huei-wen (鄭慧文) was responding to complaints by a Taiwanese importer who claimed to have suffered losses of NT$1 million (US$30,300) because of local import restrictions on the crabs, which are much sought after in Taiwan, while Japan, South Korea and Singapore are more freely importing the crustaceans from China.

Cheng said Taiwan followed the criteria set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, an organization created in 1963 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the WHO to develop food standards, guidelines and related texts such as codes of practice under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Program.

Chen said that Japan, South Korea and Singapore all followed the same inspection criteria.

"If Chinese hairy crabs can pass the inspection criteria of Japan and South Korea, then they can also pass Taiwan's inspections," he said.

Cheng made the remarks one day after China accused Taiwan of adopting excessively stringent criteria on hairy crab imports and said that if the two sides of the Taiwan Strait were unable to reach an agreement on inspection criteria, Taiwanese would not be able to enjoy the delicacy this year.

Cheng said the disagreement lay in the fact that China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine will not issue health certification on crabs bound for the Taiwanese market.

This certification is required by the Taiwanese authorities, but not by the other nations mentioned.

Cheng explained that the certification was required because hairy crabs imported and tested last year were found to contain traces of the banned antibiotic nitrofuran, a cancer-causing substance.

He said Taiwanese eels exported to Japan had also been found to contain banned substances, and exports were only permitted after Taiwan's inspection and quarantine measures were approved by Japan.

The DOH stipulated this year that all hairy crabs from China had to come from 42 certified crab farms and should have undergone health certification from the General Administration of Quality Supervisory, Inspection and Quarantine, as well as clearing other tests.

After the crabs arrive in Taiwan, each batch must undergo random checks. If they fail these tests three times, they will be prohibited entry, the new criteria stipulate.

Importers who have ordered shipments of hairy crabs can still choose to re-export them to Hong Kong, Japan or South Korea, he said.
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