The government will devote every effort to ensuring that food is safe for citizens, Vice Premier Mao Chi-Kuo said today in reference to recent discoveries of illegal industrial starch (maleic anhydride-modified starch) and expired ingredients in various food products.
Mao convened an interagency meeting of the food safety task force followed by an Executive Yuan food safety meeting. Government officials, experts, and representatives from private consumer and nutrition advocacy groups and scientific research organizations gathered to discuss the developments and worked out specific plans for handling the matter.
At the meetings, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) and Department of Health (DOH) separately reported on their strategies for finding the source of the banned starch and for increasing oversight of food additives. As with other recent food safety incidents, government agencies will act swiftly to determine the source and flow of illegal additives, remove contaminated products from store shelves, and identify the manufacturers responsible. The government is also mulling law amendments to impose heavier penalties on repeat violators.
Today's meetings produced the following consensuses:
1. Continue pushing amendments to the Act Governing Food Sanitation to impose tougher punishment on offenders and place more responsibility on food manufacturers.
2. Build stronger food safety monitoring and risk alert mechanisms.
3. Strengthen inspection at all levels of government.
4. Accelerate interagency cooperation to block the flow of non-edible chemicals into food products.
5. Encourage the public to report food safety violations.
Mao said that ensuring food safety and sanitation is the government's primary concern and that the effort will involve cooperation from multiple agencies. Tasks completed by the Executive Yuan include: fast-tracking amendments to the Act Governing Food Sanitation to push for stiffer penalties, heavier responsibilities and even criminal liability. The Ministry of Justice is mulling penalties on chemical manufacturers that recklessly sell non-edible chemicals to food manufacturers. Agencies responsible for managing chemical materials, including the EPA, Council of Labor Affairs, MOEA and DOH, will establish integrated systems to register and trace chemicals.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Bureau of Foreign Trade will inform foreign diplomats in Taiwan of the situation and explain the measures being taken by the Taiwan government. The Executive Yuan's Department of Consumer Protection will vigorously investigate complaints involving food safety disputes and raise public awareness. The DOH will draw up a plan within two weeks to remove the illegal products and punish those responsible.