The Executive Yuan's proposed changes to the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation cleared the final reading at the Legislative Yuan today, raising maximum fines to NT$2 billion (US$65.6 million) on food manufacturers found to have caused death by using adulterated or fraudulent food ingredients.
Additionally, the illicit gains confiscated from food companies will not be subject to the penalty limits of the Criminal Code, said Executive Yuan Spokesperson Sun Lih-chyun.
"Premier Jiang Yi-huah thanks Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng for effectively coordinating the legislative negotiations that allowed ruling and opposition caucuses to reach an agreement in such a short time," Sun said. "The premier hopes the amended law will serve as a stronger deterrent against 'black-hearted' food manufacturing practices."
Premier Jiang is very concerned about food safety issues in Taiwan, Sun said. As the string of scandals unfolded, the Ministry of Health and Welfare quickly drafted amendments to the food safety act, which were then approved by the Executive Yuan on September 25 and forwarded to the Legislature for review. The premier has also instructed agencies under the Executive Yuan to thoroughly examine food safety systems and shore up all controls.
To protect consumer rights and ensure the safety of Taiwan's food products, the government has presented eight measures addressing the problem from all sides: impose tougher punishment, raise whistleblower rewards, set up a government tip-off hotline, institute separate controls for different types of oil, manage the recycling of waste oil, implement three tiers of quality control, trace food production from farm to table, and reform the Good Manufacturing Practices system.