The recent food safety crisis could serve as a turning point for the nation’s food industry if the government, manufacturers, wholesalers and the public make a joint effort to resolve the situation, the Taiwan Association for Food Science and Technology said on Monday at a forum on food safety.
All the representatives of civic groups present at the forum agreed that it is the government’s duty to ensure the safety of food “from the field to the table,” which it can achieve by strengthening and rigorously enforcing food regulations, providing transparent and free access to food safety information, and adhering to international food safety standards, the association said in a statement.
Lucy Sun (孫璐西), a National Taiwan University professor of food science and technology and a honorary member of the association’s board, urged the government to immediately take three critical steps: First, it should eradicate the presence of harmful chemicals in food products by writing into law severe criminal punishments for those who violate regulations.
Second, it should launch a whistle-blowing platform to encourage the reporting of dubious practices, with rewards and protection offered to informants.
Third, the government should establish a “food police force, who can accompany food sanitation and safety inspectors when they conduct spot checks at factories,” Sun said.
According to a report presented by the Food and Drug Administration at the 2011 National Food Safety Conference, there are 102,202 registered food manufacturers, and 263,293 food stalls and registered food businesses nationwide.
In contrast, there are only 471 people in charge of inspecting food, which means that every inspector is responsible for 96 food manufacturers and 555 businesses.
Consumers’ Foundation board member Hwang Yu-sheng (黃鈺生) suggested revising the current food labeling regulations to require manufacturers to list ingredients and additives separately.
“Food product labels have to be clear and easily understood by consumers, and one way of achieving this is to have different labels for raw materials and additives,” Huang said.
Calling on food manufacturers and wholesalers to improve their self-management, Nutrition Society of Taiwan honorary director-general Wang Chin-kun (王進崑) encouraged businesses to only hire qualified food specialists as purchasing agents to guarantee the professional management of food products throughout the production and retailing chain.
For their part, consumers should carefully examine the products they purchase, Homemakers United Foundation president Chen Man-li (陳曼麗) said, cautioning buyers against purchasing products with unclear labels or substandard packaging.
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,
Greenpeace yesterday said that it is to appeal a decision last month by the Taipei High Administrative Court to dismiss its 2021 lawsuit against the Ministry of Economic Affairs over “loose” regulations governing major corporate electricity consumers. The climate-related lawsuit — the first of its kind in Taiwan — sought to require the government to enforce higher green energy thresholds on major corporations to reduce emissions in light of climate change and an uptick in extreme weather. The suit, filed by Greenpeace East Asia, the Environmental Jurists Association and four individual plaintiffs, was dismissed on May 8 following four years of litigation. The
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their