After a five-year hiatus, the first batch of US bone-in beef is scheduled to arrive in Taiwan today.
The US Meat Export Federation in Taiwan is the first vendor to order the bone-in beef, amounting to 212kg worth. It said the beef would mainly be consumed at the federation’s year-end party, with the remainder sent to seven major hotels for testing by chefs.
The first batch of bone-in beef from the US will go to a customs warehouse on arrival for inspection.
The beef will be stored at the warehouse for up to six days until the results of the analysis of the samples taken prove that the beef is safe for consumption.
The arrival of the beef follows a protocol signed in October to allow the entry of US bone-in beef and other beef products, such as ground beef and offal, that had been previously banned over concerns about mad cow disease.
The Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI) yesterday said it aimed to complete its inspection within three days.
The bureau, in collaboration with the Department of Heath, will check the beef shipment in accordance with food inspection procedures to ensure that the meat is safe for consumption, Central News Agency reported, citing BSMI Deputy Director-General Huang Lai-ho (黃來和).
The procedure will begin with checks to make sure the beef conforms to the information on its accompanying certificates, Huang said.
The Grand Hyatt Taipei (君悅大飯店) and Grand Formosa Regent Taipei (晶華酒店) said yesterday they had not received an invitation from the US Meat Export Federation.
However, Luanne Li (李佳燕), Grand Hyatt’s director of marketing communications, said the hotel’s diners would be able to try bone-in beef dishes if it receives supplies from the second batch of beef due to arrive by the end of the month.
For the Grand Hyatt, the arrival of US beef is a boon.
“The business potential is promising,” Li said. “There is a growing appetite for US bone-in beef among consumers, who love the juicy, excellent taste over beef from New Zealand and Australia.”
Ellen Chang (張筠), group public relations director of Formosa Regent, said the hotel’s steakhouse “Robin’s Grill” had designed menus in December featuring grilled steaks of bone-in rib eyes, short ribs and T-bones.
However, when they could hit the serving dishes depends on when the suppliers are able to provide them, Chang said.
“We have told our suppliers we would only accept the beef on the condition of them showing us a complete set of customs approving documents to make sure they pass safety standards,” she said.
PROTECTIONISM: China hopes to help domestic chipmakers gain more market share while preparing local tech companies for the possibility of more US sanctions Beijing is stepping up pressure on Chinese companies to buy locally produced artificial intelligence (AI) chips instead of Nvidia Corp products, part of the nation’s effort to expand its semiconductor industry and counter US sanctions. Chinese regulators have been discouraging companies from purchasing Nvidia’s H20 chips, which are used to develop and run AI models, sources familiar with the matter said. The policy has taken the form of guidance rather than an outright ban, as Beijing wants to avoid handicapping its own AI start-ups and escalating tensions with the US, said the sources, who asked not to be identified because the
Taipei is today suspending its US$2.5 trillion stock market as Super Typhoon Krathon approaches Taiwan with strong winds and heavy rain. The nation is not conducting securities, currency or fixed-income trading, statements from its stock and currency exchanges said. Yesterday, schools and offices were closed in several cities and counties in southern and eastern Taiwan, including in the key industrial port city of Kaohsiung. Taiwan, which started canceling flights, ship sailings and some train services earlier this week, has wind and rain advisories in place for much of the island. It regularly experiences typhoons, and in July shut offices and schools as
Her white-gloved, waistcoated uniform impeccable, 22-year-old Hazuki Okuno boards a bullet train replica to rehearse the strict protocols behind the smooth operation of a Japanese institution turning 60 Tuesday. High-speed Shinkansen trains began running between Tokyo and Osaka on Oct. 1, 1964, heralding a new era for rail travel as Japan grew into an economic superpower after World War II. The service remains integral to the nation’s economy and way of life — so keeping it dazzlingly clean, punctual and accident-free is a serious job. At a 10-story, state-of-the-art staff training center, Okuno shouted from the window and signaled to imaginary colleagues, keeping
FALLING BEHIND: Samsung shares have declined more than 20 percent this year, as the world’s largest chipmaker struggles in key markets and plays catch-up to rival SK Hynix Samsung Electronics Co is laying off workers in Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand as part of a plan to reduce its global headcount by thousands of jobs, sources familiar with the situation said. The layoffs could affect about 10 percent of its workforces in those markets, although the numbers for each subsidiary might vary, said one of the sources, who asked not to be named because the matter is private. Job cuts are planned for other overseas subsidiaries and could reach 10 percent in certain markets, the source said. The South Korean company has about 147,000 in staff overseas, more than half
RSS