The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday announced tough new restrictions on food retailers who do not properly label the products they sell.
From Jan. 1, retailers who sell products that do not carry a detailed list of ingredients and origin of the food will be fined between NT$30,000 and NT$150,000.
Announcing the new measures, Bureau of Food Safety Director-General Lin Sheue-rong (林雪蓉) said that the most important thing to tell consumers was, “which country the food came from.”
“We announced the new rules on March 25, but there was to be a six-month trial period. So instead we decided to enforce it starting next year,” Lin told a press conference at the DOH yesterday afternoon.
In addition to fining retailers who do not label their food products properly, those whose products are found to have false information will be fined between NT$40,000 and NT$200,000.
Internet retailers do not have to follow the same rules, Lin said.
Lin said the country or place of manufacture was the main thing that most consumers cared about. It is also the most important thing for consumers when deciding whether the price is reasonable.
“We need to help consumers make sure that whatever they are eating is safe,” she said.
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