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Food safety board strengthens coordination, communication across agencies

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Premier Lin Chuan convened the year's first meeting of the Executive Yuan Board of Food Safety today, saying the board has made many recommendations to improve food safety issues since the administration took office last May. He also welcomed new members who joined the board's second term (February 2017 to February 2019) and brought a wealth of expertise to the policymaking process.

Today's meeting focused on the five-point food safety policy, with various government agencies delivering reports on three topics:

Regarding inspection and monitoring of agricultural and food products, Premier Lin asked the Council of Agriculture to crack down on smuggled agricultural and fishery products and trace the sources. Other agencies should determine if these contraband products are as safe as domestic products, or if they contain different levels of drug residues. The premier also asked the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) to continue inspecting import items and give a report at the next board meeting on test results from previously seized contraband and what proportion met food safety standards.

The Toxic and Chemical Substances Bureau, founded last December, has begun tracking and managing chemicals, the premier continued. An integral part of the five-point food safety policy, the bureau will address problems at the source and keep chemicals from entering the food supply chain. Premier Lin asked the bureau to report next time on its main tasks, its role and functions, and how it plans to coordinate efforts with other government agencies.

The second report, promoting convergence and transparency of food testing and inspection data, was delivered by the Executive Yuan's Office of Food Safety. The premier directed the office to continue meeting with the relevant government agencies to set up databases containing the test and inspection results they have gathered, and propose a concrete plan and strategies.

The office then reported on the promotional status of government measures regarding food safety testing and inspection data. The office plans to complete a dedicated cross-agency website to release test and inspection results this May, a cross-agency school lunch inquiry site this December, and a big data system to process food safety inspection data by December 2018.

The last report addressed illegal food products made from expired margarine, and standards for pesticide usage and maximum residue levels (MRL). The premier instructed the MOHW and Ministry of Justice to review the current inspection mechanisms and penal provisions to make industry players more aware of the need to upgrade food safety. He also requested that the Office of Food Safety and relevant agencies continue to improve risk communication to address consumer concerns about pesticides and their residues.

The deputy director of the Board of Food Safety, Chen Chi-chung, also said that information regarding applications to use new pesticides, or continue to use pesticides, will be released, and consumers and concerned groups will be notified. And when pesticide MRL figures are announced in advance, comparative standards from other countries will also be provided to make the best possible notification mechanism, and help consumers understand the overall situation.

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