National Taiwan University College of Medicine professor Chiang Chih-kang (姜至剛) today took office as director-general of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Ministry of Health and Welfare said in a news release.
Chiang, a professor at the Graduate Institute of Toxicology at NTU, had long been rumored as having been selected to take the position, after it was left open for more than a month.
Chiang is not only a doctor of nephrology, the study of the kidneys, but is an expert in food safety and toxicology and holds a master’s degree in law, making him a “triple threat,” Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) said.
Photo courtesy of the Food and Drug Administration
Chiang is an established figure in the toxicology field, having frequently assisted the government with food safety cases, including last year’s fatal food poisoning outbreak at Polam Kopitiam's (寶林茶室) branch in Taipei's Xinyi District (信義).
Chiang stated the importance of the position and protecting public health through the four core areas of the FDA: drugs, food, medical devices and cosmetics.
He said he would integrate technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and digital surveillance, and strengthen regulatory oversight including border inspections, while supporting the pharmaceutical industry by stabilizing supply chains, promoting the development of biopharmaceuticals and encouraging innovation.
To improve food safety, Chiang said strict regulation through good hygiene practice guidelines and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points systems would be key to containing biological hazards such as bongkrekic acid, norovirus and bacillus cereus.
Meanwhile, for chemical hazards such as Sudan red dye and pesticide residues, AI surveillance technology, interdepartmental cooperation and whistle-blower protection mechanisms would be used to prevent contaminated products entering consumer markets, he said.
As for medical devices and cosmetics, the FDA would continue to align with international standards to put the public at ease and increase the global competitiveness of Taiwanese brands, he added.
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