If local government regulations on the maximum residue limits of ractopamine in US pork still contradict central government regulation next year, they would become invalid, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan (薛瑞元) said yesterday.
Hsueh made the remark at a meeting of legislative committees yesterday morning to review a policy allowing imports of US pork containing ractopamine from Jan. 1.
Several local governments have regulations for zero tolerance of ractopamine in pork.
Photo: CNA
Asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) about a document issued to local governments on the issue, Hsueh said that the Ministry of Health and Welfare had sent official documents to local governments asking them to review their regulations.
According to the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法), the maximum residue limits of veterinary drugs in meat are stipulated by the central government, so if local regulations contradict the central government’s rules, local governments would be instructed to review their regulations, he said.
“As of Jan. 1, any such local regulations would become invalid, as they contradict the central government,” Hsueh said, adding that the ministry would not revoke the local regulations, but they would automatically be superseded.
If the regulations of the central and local governments contradict one another, people — especially pork vendors — would be confused about which law to follow, he said.
Local regulations with zero tolerance for ractopamine in pork would result in fines for pork vendors selling products containing ractopamine, but the vendors would file lawsuits if they followed the central government’s maximum residue limits, he said.
At the Central Epidemic Command Center’s weekly news conference yesterday afternoon, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) was asked to comment on Hsueh’s remarks.
The draft amendment to the act is being reviewed by the Legislative Yuan, so whether local regulations contradict the act remains unclear, Chen said.
In related news, the Chiayi County Council held a special meeting to review a proposed amendment to the Chiayi County Self-Governance Ordinances for Food Safety Management (嘉義縣食品安全管理自治條例), which would stipulate that in the county, beta-agonists — including ractopamine — must not be detectable in pork or products containing pork.
Nineteen of the county’s 36 councilors have signed the proposal.
A 2017 amendment to Taichung’s self-governance ordinances for food safety management prohibits pork and pork products in the city from containing beta-agonists, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) said yesterday, adding that the municipality would not change its rules just because it received a document from the ministry.
Lu said that the city council was unlikely to propose modifications to its regulations.
New Taipei City’s self-governance ordinance for zero tolerance on ractopamine in pork is being reviewed by the city council, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said.
However, the municipality insists on a zero tolerance policy and has instructed its schools to only serve domestic pork.
SHIFTING COOPERATION: With the new arrangement, US representatives would be able to participate directly in defense discussions, including weapons procurement Taiwan-US military cooperation is deepening, with the Pentagon expected to station personnel at the Ministry of National Defense (MND), sources said. The NT$470 million (US$14.77 million) joint program is scheduled to run from this year through 2028, under which the Pentagon would dispatch representatives from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and the Institute for Defense Analyses, a senior military official said on condition of anonymity, adding that one representative from each organization would be stationed at the ministry’s headquarters. The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy is one of the US’ bodies responsible for
The Presidential Office today condemned China's transnational repression after an alleged Chinese foreign agent was arrested in California yesterday on suspicion of surveilling President William Lai's (賴清德) son, Lai Ting-yu (賴廷與), the FBI said. The 34-year-old woman, named Wanying Heather Zhang (張婉瑩), was arrested on suspicion of acting as an unregistered foreign agent, US news agency CBS reported. She was apprehended at Los Angeles International Airport yesterday attempting to fly to Shanghai, it said. This represents a “typical case” of China’s transnational repression, Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said today. "Our country expresses the strongest condemnation of such barbaric conduct that
The European Parliament on Wednesday adopted a recommendation on EU-China political relations that rejected China’s efforts to restrict Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and exchanges. The recommendation, addressed to the European Council, the European Commission and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, includes several references to EU-Taiwan relations and expresses support for closer ties, saying they would bring positive benefits and have strategic importance. Describing Taiwan as a valuable partner in trade and technology, the European Parliament said it “rejects China’s attempts to coerce international organizations, third countries and other actors into restricting Taiwan’s international participation and
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday arrived in San Francisco, receiving a warm welcome from hundreds of overseas Taiwanese as she launched a week-long visit. Accompanied by Representative to the US Alexander Yui (俞大?), and head of Taiwan’s San Francisco office Wu Chih-hsiang (伍志翔), Tsai arrived at her hotel, waving, smiling and giving high-fives to Taiwanese compatriots amid cheers of “Taiwan’s democracy involves you and me” to welcome her to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is Tsai’s first visit to the US since she left office in May 2024 after serving two four-year terms as president. Tsai is today to deliver
RSS