More than 90 percent of the nation’s annual import of soybeans, estimated at about 2.3 million tonnes, are genetically modified, industry representatives and experts said.
In addition, about 10 percent of them are processed into all kinds of soybean-based foods, drinks and condiments that are not properly labeled as containing genetically modified organism (GMO) materials or are labeled, but still favored by ill-informed consumers, they added.
According to statistics from the Council of Agriculture, Taiwan’s major suppliers of soybeans are Brazil and the US.
Because imported Brazilian soybeans are not made for processing, Taiwan’s soy food products are mainly made of soybeans imported from the US.
However, experts at a forum on genetically modified foods on Thursday said 90 percent of the soybeans imported from the US are genetically modified, and are grown to be sold and used as livestock feed in the US’ domestic market.
Most Taiwanese consumers are not aware of the health risks of genetically modified foods, the Chinese Tofu Association director-general Chan Wu-hsiung (詹武雄) said.
“Our neighboring countries including Japan, South Korea, China, Malaysia and Vietnam have all been weaned from GMO soybeans and started to consume non-GMO soybeans. Why is it that our government has been so hesitant about setting up rules and changing the habit?” Chan said.
National Taiwan University agronomy professor Warren Kuo (郭華仁) presented a research study by French scientist Gilles-Eric Seralini and his co-authors on the effect of genetically modified corn on laboratory rats, which concluded that rats fed corn genetically modified for herbicide resistance developed tumors.
Kuo urged the public to take heed of the potential risks accompanied by the consumption of genetically modified foods and called on the government to establish clearer regulations to rein in the genetically modified food industry.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
US climber Alex Honnold left Taiwan this morning a day after completing a free-solo ascent of Taipei 101, a feat that drew cheers from onlookers and gained widespread international attention. Honnold yesterday scaled the 101-story skyscraper without a rope or safety harness. The climb — the highest urban free-solo ascent ever attempted — took just more than 90 minutes and was streamed live on Netflix. It was covered by major international news outlets including CNN, the New York Times, the Guardian and the Wall Street Journal. As Honnold prepared to leave Taiwan today, he attracted a crowd when he and his wife, Sanni,
RSS