Legislators yesterday urged the government to investigate and seize seeds that were imported from China and illegally sold in Taiwan through Facebook groups.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators Michelle Lin (林楚茵) and Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) at a news conference at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei warned about the risks the seeds pose to national safety and agriculture.
Lin said that she received a report in April that someone on Facebook was selling pepino melon seeds of unknown origin, and claiming that the seeds can prevent and heal cancer, as well as reduce blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
Photo: Liao Chen-hui, Taipei Times
Another Facebook seller was offering black tomato seeds, which the seller claimed lowered the risk of men developing prostate cancer and heart disease, she said, adding that current regulations do not prevent such sales.
There is no law prohibitng claims that seeds, as opposed to food, could have curative effects, Lin said.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would not halt the Facebook sales, as it questioned whether seeds could be counted as food, she said.
Lin said her colleagues inquired about the seeds and purchased them, which were falsely registered as “decorations” by the sellers.
Chao said that the sellers ignored regulations on marketing, importing, packaging and logistics to illegally sell products that were sent by untraceable companies.
“Thousands of people place orders every day, and no seller has been caught,” Chao quoted a seller as allegedly saying.
Customs officers should easily be able to discern seeds and plants from “decorations” as they appear orange in X-ray scanners, he said.
He proposed using dogs, which were helpful in detecting African swine fever, to identify illegal plants.
He also asked how the products already being imported can be traced.
Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine Deputy Director-General Chou Hui-chuan (鄒慧娟) said that seeds should be registered and pass inspection before being imported.
The agency would investigate and handle reports of any seeds of unknown origins entering the country and ask that Facebook sales be halted, Chou said.
FDA Deputy Director Lin Chin-fu (林金富) said that food advertisements must not include misinformation or exaggerations, or claims to have curative effects.
People who make false advertising claims can face a fine of NT$40,000 to NT$4 million (US$1,355 to US$135,474), while those who claim food products have curative effects could face a fine ranging from NT$600,000 to NT$5 million, he said.
Although seeds are not fruit, the same penalties apply to fruit that grow from the seeds, he added.
Customs Administration Deputy Director-General Su Shu-chen (蘇淑貞) said that abnormalities detected in imported goods are examined at customs, adding that seeds and plants are sent to the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine for further inspection.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS