Changhua's oyster farmers are crying foul after sales plunged following a warning from the Consumers' Foundation about high levels of copper in Taiwanese oysters.
The oyster market was sent reeling by the foundation's announcement on Tuesday that it had found concentrations of copper above 200 parts per million (ppm) in three out of the 20 samples it had collected from various retail outlets, including a market in Changhua.
However, tests of four oyster production sites in Changhua conducted by the Council of Agriculture during the same period found much lower copper concentrations -- between 44 and 57ppm -- that were well within the safety limit of 100ppm advocated by the foundation.
"Our oysters used to sell out everyday," said Chen Chu-tsang (
Oyster farmers and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chen Chao-rung (
"Changhua oysters are safe, and good for you," Chen Chao-rung said. "The Consumers' Foundation needs to get its facts straight."
The foundation is standing by its findings.
"We sampled oysters at sale points rather than point of origin because we are concerned about what reaches the people," foundation president Cheng Jen-hung (
"We didn't want to impugn oysters from any particular region. Indeed, we raised the possibility that some may have been contraband oysters. But the bottom line is they're being sold and eaten by Taiwanese consumers," Cheng said.
The foundation has urged the Department of Health to reduce the maximum allowable copper concentration in shellfish to under 100ppm, in line with Canada and the UK.
The top official at the Bureau of Food Safety, however, dismissed the need for such a limit.
"Unlike mercury, copper is readily metabolized by the body," David Cheng (
"By the time you've eaten enough oyster omelets to have to worry about copper, your cholesterol intake from the eggs would be a far greater concern," he said, referring to a favorite local dish.
Cheng Jen-hung disagreed.
"Perhaps no single source of heavy metals or other poison causes sickness, but overall we are seeing higher rates of liver and kidney failure in our country. That's why we have to be vigilant about contributing causes such as pesticides on our vegetables and copper in our oysters," she said
"In the long run, we hope to create a win-win situation for oyster farmers and consumers," said Shih Sheng-lung (
"We are encouraging participation in certification schemes that will give consumers peace of mind and allow farmers to charge a premium price," Shih said.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Friday condemned Chinese and Russian authorities for escalating regional tensions, citing Chinese warplanes crossing the Taiwan Strait’s median line and joint China-Russia military activities breaching South Korea’s air defense identification zone (KADIZ) over the past two days. A total of 30 Chinese warplanes crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Thursday and Friday, entering Taiwan’s northern and southwestern airspace in coordination with 15 naval vessels and three high-altitude balloons, the MAC said in a statement. The Chinese military also carried out another “joint combat readiness patrol” targeting Taiwan on Thursday evening, the MAC said. On
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday confirmed that Chinese students visiting Taiwan at the invitation of the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation were almost all affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). During yesterday’s meeting convened by the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) asked whether the visit was a way to spread China’s so-called “united front” rhetoric, to which MAC Deputy Ministry Shen You-chung (沈有忠) responded with the CCP comment. The MAC noticed that the Chinese individuals visiting Taiwan, including those in sports, education, or religion, have had increasingly impressive backgrounds, demonstrating that the
MILITARY EXERCISES: China is expected to conduct more drills in the region after President William Lai’s office announced he would stopover in Hawaii and Guam China is likely to launch military drills in the coming days near Taiwan, using President William Lai’s (賴清德) upcoming trip to the Pacific and scheduled US transit as a pretext, regional security officials said. Lai is to begin a visit to Taipei’s three diplomatic allies in the Pacific on Saturday, and sources told Reuters he was planning stops in Hawaii and the US territory of Guam in a sensitive trip shortly after the US presidential election. Lai’s office has yet to confirm details of what are officially “stop-overs” in the US, but is expected to do so shortly before he departs, sources
Tasa Meng Corp (采盟), which runs Taiwan Duty Free, could be fined up to NT$1 million (US$30,737) after the owner and employees took center stage in a photograph with government officials and the returning Premier12 baseball champions at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Monday evening. When Taiwan’s national baseball team arrived home fresh from their World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier12 championship victory in Tokyo, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) was at the airport with Chinese Professional Baseball League commissioner Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) to welcome back the team. However, after Hsiao and Tsai took a photograph with the team, Tasa Meng chairwoman Ku
RSS