Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers yesterday proposed health authorities punish food safety violations on a case-by-case basis to ensure that unscrupulous merchants are heavily penalized.
A political storm was triggered when a Food and Drug Administration inspector recently uncovered di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, or DEHP, in a food supplement, leading to further discoveries of the chemical in sports drinks and dietary supplements.
‘CLOUDY AGENT’
The source of contamination was traced back to a food additive from Yu Shen Chemical Co called a “cloudy agent,” commonly used in fruit jelly, yogurt mix powder, juice and other drinks.
KMT caucus whip Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) said manufacturers who knowingly adulterate food with toxic substances or sell such products should be charged with attempted murder.
At present, the maximum fine stipulated in the Act Governing Food Sanitation (食品衛生管理法) for such violations is NT$300,000 (US$10,300).
According to an amendment to the law proposed by KMT Legislator Huang Yi-chiao (黃義交), the maximum fine would be raised to NT$5 million, and in the event of serious violations, an offender could have his or her license revoked.
PRISON TERM
The bill also says that if a violation is determined to have had a serious impact on public health, offenders face a prison sentence of up to seven years and a maximum fine of NT$10 million, whereas the current maximum is three years and a NT$900,000 fine.
Meanwhile, KMT Legislator Lin Te-fu (林德福) urged prosecutors to temporarily freeze the assets of Yu Shen Chemical Co to prevent the owner from disposing of them.
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Hualien Branch of the High Court today sentenced the main suspect in the 2021 fatal derailment of the Taroko Express to 12 years and six months in jail in the second trial of the suspect for his role in Taiwan’s deadliest train crash. Lee Yi-hsiang (李義祥), the driver of a crane truck that fell onto the tracks and which the the Taiwan Railways Administration's (TRA) train crashed into in an accident that killed 49 people and injured 200, was sentenced to seven years and 10 months in the first trial by the Hualien District Court in 2022. Hoa Van Hao, a
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the