The Executive Yuan maintains that the U.S. beef import issue must be resolved through due legislative process, Executive Yuan Spokesman Hu Yu-wei said on behalf of Premier Sean Chen June 18.
"On February 24, legislative caucuses of various parties agreed that the Executive Yuan would not consider issuing an executive order to allow imports of U.S. beef with traces of ractopamine prior to the passage of a revised Act Governing Food Sanitation. Out of respect for the Legislature, the Executive Yuan considers this agreement valid and will abide by it," Hu said.
"Furthermore, to mandate the labeling of unpackaged beef's country of origin, legislation is required," he continued. This labeling system is another component of the government's beef import proposal. Current regulations do not require products made with unpackaged beef—such as hamburgers and beef noodles sold in restaurants—to be labeled, Hu noted. If the mandatory labeling system were incorporated into the Act Governing Food Sanitation, all businesses selling products made with unpackaged beef would be required to identify their meat's origin.
For these reasons, the Executive Yuan insists that the food act be amended in a provisional legislative session.