Several groups have issued an ultimatum to Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Wen-ta (邱文達) asking him to honor his promise to step down if he is unable to resolve the recycled waste oil scandal by the end of this month, a pledge Chiu made at a legislative session on Tuesday.
“The day the deadline for Chiu’s promise falls on is the day the minister will step down. If he refuses to resign to take responsibility [for the tainted lard oil scandal], we may respond by launching a protest campaign against him,” Homemakers Union Consumers Co-op secretary-general Lai Hsiao-fen (賴曉芬) said.
Taiwan Yucheng Victims’ Support Organization standing director Lo Shih-hsiang (羅士翔) said several food scares had happened since Chiu took over the then-Department of Health in February 2011, but he has neither managed to crack down on food safety irregularities nor taken political responsibility for his inability to address the problems.
“It has become evident that Chiu is no longer fit to head the ministry. He should attach more importance to the public’s food safety rather than clinging to the ministerial position,” Lo said.
Chiu has faced mounting calls to resign from the press, the public and a number of elected representatives since news broke earlier this month that Greater Kaohsiung-based cooking oil manufacturer Chang Guann Co (強冠企業) had used recycled waste oil and animal feed oil in the production of its 25 edible lard products.
Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) has said that he would determine responsibility in the ongoing scandal after it was brought under control.
Despite Jiang’s promise to hold responsible parties accountable for the oil scandal, Lai said both Chiu and the premier should step down.
“The oil scare was not caused by a single factor and only through a complete overhaul of the government’s food safety mechanism can such events be avoided in the future. Nevertheless, Jiang’s pledge seems to be nothing but an attempt to procrastinate addressing the problem,” Lai said.
The Consumers’ Foundation on Friday also took issue with Jiang’s proposed eight measures to enhance the nation’s food safety management, saying that the proposal failed to include a plan to improve the oft-criticized civil law system through which consumers affected by food scares may seek compensation.
The eight measures include increasing penalties for unscrupulous food manufacturers, setting up a tip-off hotline, strictly regulating oil products, strengthening management of recycled waste oil and enhancing the three-level food quality control system among others.
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