The Consumers’ Foundation yesterday urged the government to insist on labeling agricultural products from the US, while Taiwanese trade officials engage in high-stakes negotiations over US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Although the specifics of Taiwan-US trade talks are classified, Washington’s demands could be guessed from those made by US officials in previous negotiations, foundation executive chairman Wu Jung-ta (吳榮達) told a news conference.
The US has long accused Taiwan of excessive inspection procedures for imported meat products and overly strict standards that did not align with international norms, he said.
Photo: CNA
Washington also considers the Food and Drug Administration’s safety tests to be a trade barrier, as they increase the chances of US products being found unsafe for consumption, he said.
US trade officials earlier this year demanded that Taiwan raise the legal limit on ractopamine residues in pork and stop banning the import of US beef offal, Wu said.
Taiwan reportedly tentatively agreed to open the door to US-produced minced beef and beef offal, and increase maximum concentration of ractopamine in pork from 0.04 parts per million (ppm) to 0.09ppm, in line with the Codex Alimentarius, he said.
The US might additionally demand that Taiwan stop listing the country of origin for US beef and pork, he said.
These demands are problematic because Taiwanese consume offal in larger amounts than US residents, resulting in increased exposure to animal drug residues, he said, citing the custom for post-natal women to eat pork kidneys.
The government must resist pressure from the US on labelling the country of origin to protect consumers’ right to know about the products they purchase, he said.
The foundation is “pessimistic” about the government’s ability to keep the current standards for ractopamine residues, he added.
Taiwan could respond by imposing stricter labeling rules on beef and pork produced in countries other than the US to ensure consumers can exercise their right to choose, foundation officials said.
Establishing online platforms and apps could help consumers exercise that right, they said.
Additionally, the government could mandate labeling all meat imports without country of origin information as high-risk products, they said.
US officials claim that lowering the restrictions on ractopamine residues is based on science, but the 2012 Codex Alimentarius guideline on the substance was rectified with a razor-thin margin of 69 “yea” to 67 “nay” votes, foundation secretary-general Chen Ya-ping (陳雅萍) said.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission’s decision on ractopamine was a political compromise not backed by scientific considerations, she said.
Taiwan prohibits US beef offal imports to prevent the spread of mad cow disease, which is caused by prions linked to ractopamine use, Chen said.
President William Lai’s (賴清德) recent comments that safeguarding food security and public health are the Taiwanese delegation’s priorities are an acknowledgement that the negotiations revolve around agricultural products, chairman Teng Wei-chung (鄧惟中) said.
Taiwanese negotiators should let former US president John F. Kennedy’s consumer bill of rights guide their endeavors, he said, adding the concept stipulated that the right to safety, right to be informed, right to choose and right to be heard are basic to consumers.
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