All meat imported into Taiwan would soon have to carry more detailed information from the source country, in the interest of improved food safety, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday.
The new meat importation rules, most of which are to take effect in October, are being modeled on regulations used in Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the US, the FDA said.
Imports of fresh, frozen and processed meats, as well as processed foods containing meat, would have to be accompanied by documents showing that each shipment was inspected and supervised by health authorities in the source country, the FDA said.
Photo: CNA
The accompanying documents would also have to include information such as where and when the animal was slaughtered and the meat packaged, FDA section chief Liao Tzu-ting (廖姿婷) said.
For imports of canned meats, documents showing they are commercially sterile would be required, she said, adding that the new regulations for that category of meats would not be implemented until July next year.
The new certification rules are being adopted to improve food safety in Taiwan, the FDA said.
Fines for contravening the new regulations or falsifying import documents would range from NT$30,000 to NT$3 million (US$1,006 to US$100,610), the FDA said, citing the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法).
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