Not all US pork contains ractopamine and just because pork contains the additive does not mean it is poisonous, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said yesterday.
Chen made the remark at the Legislative Yuan in response to requests for comment on the annual “Autumn Struggle” (秋鬥) labor protest march, which on Sunday focused on rejecting the government’s plan to allow imports of US pork containing ractopamine, from Jan. 1.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party joined in support.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
The Consumers’ Foundation has also said that more than 140,000 people had signed its petition against allowing imports of pork containing the drug.
The rally’s organizers said that more than 50,000 people attended the march, although Chen said it was uncertain if that many people opposed ractopamine pork.
“In addition, the protesters were expressing their concerns on multiple issues, so we cannot say that all 50,000 people were against one certain policy,” he said. “Nonetheless, we will respect the expression of public opinion.”
“Just as most people understand that not all US beef contains ractopamine ... US pork does not mean pork containing ractopamine, and pork containing ractopamine is not equal to poisonous pork,” he added.
The government is responsible for ensuring food safety and would require country of origin labeling for meat imports, he said, adding that it would also respect people’s economic behaviors.
At a meeting of the legislature’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee, KMT Legislator Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said that pork containing ractopamine residue only makes up about 22 percent of the US’ total pork production, but if Taiwan plans to only request country of origin labeling on imported pork, it might cause Taiwanese consumers to reject all US pork.
Chen said that the government hopes that US authorities would understand that allowing imports of US pork containing ractopamine might not necessarily benefit US pork exports, as Taiwanese consumers might be suspicious of all US pork, including the nearly 80 percent without the additive.
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
RSS