The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) has assembled a seven-member panel of attorneys to assist victims of melamine-contaminated milk powder in seeking compensation from the Chinese manufacturer and Taiwanese importer of the product, the party said yesterday.
The TSU encouraged businesses that had bought tainted milk powder from the China-based Sanlu Group, as well as individuals who had consumed the milk products, to register with the party, TSU Chairman Huang Kun-huei (黃昆輝) told a press conference.
Huang also demanded that the government lodge a protest with China under the framework of the WTO.
PHOTO: CNA
“We will also file an application for national compensation — the toxic milk powder was imported without a legal hitch, which means that the Department of Health failed to do its job to monitor the safety of food imports,” TSU spokeswoman Chow Mei-li (周美里) said.
Last week, Chinese authorities informed Taiwan that a shipment of Sanlu-brand milk powder imported in June was contaminated with melamine. The 25 tonnes of toxic milk powder produced by the Sanlu Group was imported into Taiwan on June 23 by the Taiwan branch of the New Zealand-based dairy ingredient supplier Fonterra.
Over the past few days, local health authorities have seized 395 bags of unsold milk powder and around 140 bags that were sold to various food dealers but had not been used, a health department investigation showed.
While around 160 bags of the milk powder have been used by bakeries and beverage makers, the authorities are still trying to locate approximately 300 more bags.
Chou said the party would try to work with lawyers in China to determine whether victims on both sides of the Taiwan Strait may file a joint lawsuit.
“If you’re a victim, you can contact us at (02) 2394-1270 and we will find out how we can help,” she said, adding that the legal service would be provided pro bono.
Melamine, a chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers, is believed to have been added to diluted milk by some Chinese producers or resellers to raise the apparent protein content.
In addition to the Sanlu milk powder, baby formula produced by 21 Chinese dairy companies has been contaminated by melamine. However, Taiwan has not imported products from any of these 21 companies, officials said.
Also See: Fourth milk death reported in China and See: Milk scare becomes another power play
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
RSS