Ractopamine-free pork promotion sections are to be set up at convenience stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets in Taipei next month, the Taipei City Government said yesterday as it unveiled a series of measures ahead of a policy change on US pork imports.
Although Taiwan bans dosing pigs with the feed additive, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Aug. 28 announced looser restrictions on imports of US pork containing traces of the drug within certain limits, as well as beef from cattle aged 30 months or older. The policy is to take effect on Jan. 1.
Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) told a news conference yesterday that under the central government’s plan, all categories of US pork products could be stacked alongside each other on store shelves, including ractopamine-free products; those that used the additive, but in which ractopamine was not detected in tests; and those with residual traces of the chemical within legal standards.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Without differentiating between the categories, people would assume that all US pork contains the additive, causing trouble for importers and market operators, Huang said.
As the central government did not impose restrictions on hog importers, the city government can only require sellers to label products that have traces of the additive according to Taipei’s food safety regulations, she said.
From Jan. 1, pork importers are required test their products for ractopamine residue, she said, adding that markets in the capital would be asked to set up sections for products from pigs that were not given ractopamine, or were given it, but tests did not detect residue.
Taipei’s public facilities and schools would be required to use only locally produced pork, while the city’s postpartum care centers have announced that they are to provide only ractopamine-free pork, she said.
Sellers and catering businesses should label pork products that contain residues of ractopamine, she said.
The city government requires pork importers to sign up on its food material registration platform by July 1, she said, adding that the deadline was extended because the city needs to help businesses with the procedure.
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) told the news conference that the city government can regulate local operators, but it cannot prevent products being brought in from elsewhere in Taiwan.
Meanwhile, the New Taipei City Council on Wednesday approved amendments to its food safety regulations, which include clauses and penalties requiring local pork products to be ractopamine-free and labeled accordingly.
The amendments need the Executive Yuan’s approval before they can be promulgated, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said, adding that if the Executive Yuan does not approve them, the municipality would file an administrative appeal or resort to the Council of Grand Justices.
Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said that the nation should be a unified entity that does not impose regulations that vary from place to place.
With food safety its priority, the government would watch how local governments respond and announce consistent rules later, Su said.
Hopefully, the Cabinet’s plan would be supported by local governments, he said.
Additional reporting by Chen Yun
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