The government yesterday gave a preview of an official notice on the allowable levels of ractopamine in beef imports and requirements for product origin labeling, as it prepares to open the local market to imported beef containing the livestock feed additive next month.
The preview is aimed at allowing members of the public to express their opinions about the measures, Food and Drug Administration Director-General Kang Jaw-jou (康照洲) told a press conference.
The new regulations are expected to take effect by the middle of next month, Kang said.
The Department of Health has capped the maximum residue limit for ractopamine in beef at 10 parts per billion (ppb), he said, adding that within the next 14 days, members of the public could submit their opinions, which the department would “take into consideration.”
He did not rule out a re-evaluation of the standards for ractopamine residues, but added that “the chances are slim.”
The government made a thorough evaluation and solicited professional opinions on the issue before announcing the lifting of the ban on the leanness-enhancing additive used in some countries, he said.
Countries such as Japan and South Korea have also set 10ppb residue standards for their beef imports, Kang said.
The public can also express their views on regulations related to the labeling of the origin of beef imports within the following week, he added.
Under the new regulations, places serving beef — including restaurants and food stands — must clearly label the origin of the beef they are using, the department said.
Packaged foods such as instant noodles and beef jerky should also be labeled showing point of origin, it added.
The department will step up inspections of beef products on the market and in restaurants serving beef in the months after the release of the official notice.
“We aim to check 30,000 restaurants,” he said.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan at 7pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter of the temblor was at sea, about 69.9km south of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 30.9km, it said. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County’s Changbin Township (長濱), where it measured 5 on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 4 in Hualien, Nantou, Chiayi, Yunlin, Changhua and Miaoli counties, as well as
Credit departments of farmers’ and fishers’ associations blocked a total of more than NT$180 million (US$6.01 million) from being lost to scams last year, National Police Agency (NPA) data showed. The Agricultural Finance Agency (AFA) said last week that staff of farmers’ and fishers’ associations’ credit departments are required to implement fraud prevention measures when they serve clients at the counter. They would ask clients about personal financial management activities whenever they suspect there might be a fraud situation, and would immediately report the incident to local authorities, which would send police officers to the site to help, it said. NPA data showed
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The Taipei MRT is to begin accepting mobile payment services in the fall, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said on Saturday. When the company finishes the installation of new payment units at ticketing gates in October, MRT passengers can use credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, the operator said. In addition, the MRT would also provide QR payment codes — which would be compatible with Line Pay, Jkopay, iPass Money, PXPay Plus, EasyWallet, iCash Pay, Taiwan Pay and Taishin Pay — to access the railway system. Currently, passengers can access the Taipei MRT by buying a single-journey token or using EasyCard,
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