The Taipei Department of Health yesterday said it has set up a certification mark for postpartum meals to ensure food safety and hygiene, adding that meal providers are required to reapply for the mark every two years.
As demand for postpartum care services has been growing, the new policy aims to put new mothers’ mind at ease regarding food safety, department Commissioner Chen Yen-yuan (陳彥元) said.
The department talked to postpartum meal providers when drawing up the policy, Chen said, adding that the certification system adheres to Article 11 of the Taipei City Government’s ordinance for food safety.
Photo: Tsai Ssu-pei, Taipei Times
Postpartum nursing facilities and healthcare facilities that provide postpartum meals are also required to apply for the certification mark, Chen added.
The establishments would be inspected for management of employee hygiene; food processing quality; ingredient quality; equipment and utensil sanitation; and physical facilities, the department said.
Only establishments that achieve “excellent” or “good” rankings would be awarded a certification mark, it said.
The certificate is valid for two years and establishments have to apply for follow-up inspection upon expiration, it said.
Facilities that fail to pass inspections would be given time to improve the problems, but could face a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$100,000 if they do not improve within the given time period, the department said.
Since the certification mark system began in 2015, the city expanded the types of facilities that must apply for certification, such as food courts, school lunch providers and hotels, Chen said.
A total of 3,404 meal providers have received an “excellent” or “good” certification mark since 2015, the department said.
The city plans to include food vendors at night markets in the certification mark system in the second half of this year, starting from the shopping district around Yongkang Street (永康街) to the Sinbeitou (新北投) hot spring shopping district, Food and Drug Division head Chen Yi-ting (陳怡婷) said.
Hopefully, all of the city’s night markets would be included in the system within four years, Chen Yi-ting said.
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
RSS