Instant noodle makers could soon face a maximum fine of NT$150,000 for false advertising if the contents of a noodle packet fails to match the picture on the packaging, the Department of Health said yesterday.
Noodle makers have a one-year grace period to use up existing inventory and change either their labels or product content, said Food and Drug Administration Section Chief Liu Fang-ming (劉芳銘), discussing the Instant Noodle Packaging Labeling Regulations (包裝速食麵標示相關規定) expected to come into effect next year.
From May next year, all instant-noodle packets that do not contain any actual pieces of beef, seafood or other items that the product name suggests are found in the packet will only be allowed to be called “soup noodles,” or “flavored soup noodles,” the department said.
Operators who violate the new law can be fined between NT$30,000 and NT$150,000, according to the Food Hygiene Act (食品衛生管理法).
Liu said consumers have complained for many years about feeling “cheated” when they find the contents of instant or bowl noodles to be drastically different to that advertised.
Instead of the chunks of meat, seafood or vegetables often shown on the outer packaging, consumers usually end up with a small flavored powder spice packet and few bits of dehydrated green onion, carrots or peas.
In addition to the name, noodle makers will also be required to add a disclaimer to their packaging that clearly states the picture shown on the packaging is “for reference purposes only,” Liu said, adding that the color of the Chinese characters must be visible and different to that of the packaging.
Instant noodles are one of the most popular food items in Taiwan.
Despite their convenience, excessive consumption of instant noodles can have adverse health effects because of the high level of sodium contained in most products.
The Taiwan Cancer Society also lists instant noodles as one of the foods to be avoided for those concerned about childhood obesity.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
Taiwanese celebrities Hank Chen (陳漢典) and Lulu Huang (黃路梓茵) announced yesterday that they are planning to marry. Huang announced and posted photos of their engagement to her social media pages yesterday morning, joking that the pair were not just doing marketing for a new show, but “really getting married.” “We’ve decided to spend all of our future happy and hilarious moments together,” she wrote. The announcement, which was later confirmed by the talent agency they share, appeared to come as a surprise even to those around them, with veteran TV host Jacky Wu (吳宗憲) saying he was “totally taken aback” by the news. Huang,
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) put Taiwan in danger, Ma Ying-jeou Foundation director Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) said yesterday, hours after the de facto US embassy said that Beijing had misinterpreted World War II-era documents to isolate Taiwan. The AIT’s comments harmed the Republic of China’s (ROC) national interests and contradicted a part of the “six assurances” stipulating that the US would not change its official position on Taiwan’s sovereignty, Hsiao said. The “six assurances,” which were given by then-US president Ronald Reagan to Taiwan in 1982, say that Washington would not set a date for ending arm sales to Taiwan, consult
RSS