The Executive Yuan Council today approved a draft amendment to the Food Administration Act affecting rice, labeling and advertisements. It will be submitted to the Legislative Yuan for deliberation.
"The draft amendment will help maintain order in the rice market and strengthen management and control of the flow and sale of imported rice to protect consumers' rights," said Premier Jiang Yi-huah. He directed the Council of Agriculture (COA) to work closely with legislators to expedite the amendment and see to it that all rice vendors continue to provide honest labeling before the act is amended.
To better manage the food supply and safeguard customers' rights, the draft amendment raises penalties for dishonest practices, prohibits mixing Taiwan rice with low-cost imported rice for sale and establishes a tracking mechanism, the COA said.
The draft amendment is summarized as follows:
1. Imported and domestic food shall be recorded separately. Food importers and processers above an operating scale prescribed by the competent authorities must record the sources and flow of their food to aid in the tracing of imports. (Article 11)
2. Labeling regulations for packaged and unpackaged food are beefed up; the mixture of Taiwan rice with imported rice for profit is prohibited, as are other illicit marketing practices. (Articles 14 and 14-1)
3. A maximum fine of NT$4 million (US$133,067) will be assessed to any food dealer that mixes products, promotes or advertises products dishonestly, or provides exaggerating or misleading information. A business which seriously breaches this law may have its operations suspended for a prescribed period of time or its food dealer registration revoked. Also, for cases that severely damage customers' rights, specific penalties are defined and all disqualified food products must be removed from stores. (Articles 18 through 18-2)