The government is determined to reform the national food safety system, restore public confidence, and rebuild Taiwan's reputation as a gourmet kingdom, Premier Jiang Yi-huah pledged today at the 2013 National Food Safety Conference, which brought government officials, academics and experts together to brainstorm ideas on building a safer food environment.
The issue of food safety requires more than passing attention and must be put at the top of the government's agenda, the premier reminded officials. The recent tainted cooking oil incident has created much anxiety among the public with people everywhere worried about the safety of products their families consume. As a member of the government, Premier Jiang is mortified and extremely concerned.
The problem of food safety extends beyond tainted oil, Jiang continued. From toxins in rice bran oils in the late 1970s to plasticizers and maleic acid-tainted starch in recent years, Taiwan has unfortunately experienced a long string of food scares. Yet, neither government nor food manufacturers nor consumers have learned their lessons in full. It is apparent that the government's efforts were not thorough enough, which is why dishonest food makers have survived and these incidents continue to arise. At this year's food safety conference, government officials come with heavy hearts and a determination to find a comprehensive and systematic approach to addressing all of these issues—not just the defects in the oil products but also the lapses in food safety management and the criminal activities.
As to how to root out unsafe foods, Premier Jiang said manufacturers may not use any banned additives, toxic substances or chemical drugs in their products, or dilute high-quality products with low-cost ingredients to increase profits. A product may also not have false or incomplete labeling at any time, including during the manufacturing process.
Putting safe food into the hands of consumers is not merely the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the premier stressed. Many other factors are involved, including production freshness, chemical drug control, factory manufacturing procedures, packaging and processing of imported ingredients, violation reporting by officials, and promoting proper food safety concepts. Such a broad undertaking requires the cooperation of various agencies including the Council of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education, National Police Agency and Council of Labor Affairs.