Health officials in Taipei yesterday affixed government-issued safety labels at about 15,000 hypermarkets, convenience stores and supermarkets to certify that the food and beverages sold inside were safe.
The move followed the Taipei City Government’s issuance of safety labels on more than 7,000 vending machines last week amid efforts to assuage fears about chemically contaminated food products.
Helping health officials place a label at an RT-Mart store in Neihu District (內湖), Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said the city’s plan had been embraced by customers and companies that wanted to make sure products on sale were free of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, or DEHP, and other banned chemicals that have stirred a food safety scare in recent weeks.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
“With tight inspection mechanisms by the city, self-regulation by stores and supervision from consumers, we are hoping to quickly put an end to the DEHP incident,” Hau said at the hypermarket.
During the next five days, the labels will be affixed to major hypermarkets, convenience stores and supermarkets including RT-Mart, Carrefour, Matsusei, 7-Eleven and FamilyMart, if they are deemed to be selling safe products.
Chiang Yu-mei (姜郁美), chief secretary of the city’s Department of Health, said the labels would be valid for three months, after which a new round of inspections would be conducted and new labels issued.
The department encouraged consumers to call the 1999 Citizen’s Hotline to report any food contamination with illegal chemicals. Stores or companies that are found to be selling the illegal products will be punished and the safety labels removed immediately, she added.
Since news of DEHP-contaminated food and beverages broke late last month, the hotline and mayor’s office have been inundated with telephone calls and e-mails from worried consumers.
The city government encouraged consumers to inform it about any products that might be contaminated, Hau said, adding that health officials in Taipei would use the highest standards to ensure food safety.
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