Pig farmers and the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) yesterday called for zero tolerance on the animal feed additive ractopamine, with an imminent relaxation of regulations governing imports of meat containing residues of the drug appearing inevitable as an extra legislative session begins today.
“While the Codex Alimentarius Commission narrowly voted in favor of maximum residue levels [MRL] of ractopamine on July 5, the TSU insists on zero tolerance of the drug,” TSU caucus whip Hsu Chung-hsin (許忠信) told a joint press conference with representatives of pig farmers.
The TSU would block the legislative proceeding in the extra session, Hsu said, but he declined to disclose how the party would do so.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Hsu said his party opposed relaxing a ban on meat with ractopamine residues because it was doubtful the government would be able to implement its four principles regarding meat imports.
The four principles include establishing a safe level of ractopamine residues for beef imports, differentiating the safety standards for beef and pork products, requiring mandatory labeling of beef products and maintaining the ban on imports of beef offal from the US.
Hsu said a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) plan to differentiate pork and beef safety standards in an additional resolution would be ineffective because the additional resolution would not be legally binding.
“That is why pig farmers are worried,” Republic of China Swine Association president Yang Kuan-chang (楊冠章) said, adding that the commission’s decision had panicked local pig farmers.
“Pig farmers are extremely suspicious of the Council of Agriculture’s pledge that ractopamine-tainted US pork imports would not be allowed,” said Lin Chiu-kuei (林秋桂), first deputy chairperson of the association and president of the Chiayi County Swine Association.
TSU Legislator Lin Shih-chia (林世嘉) said Taiwan should follow the example of the EU, which maintains a zero-tolerance policy on ractopamine, adding that the nation should apply its own measures to safeguard food safety, citing the WTO’s Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.
Taiwan is stepping up plans to create self-sufficient supply chains for combat drones and increase foreign orders from the US to counter China’s numerical superiority, a defense official said on Saturday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said the nation’s armed forces are in agreement with US Admiral Samuel Paparo’s assessment that Taiwan’s military must be prepared to turn the nation’s waters into a “hellscape” for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Paparo, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, reiterated the concept during a Congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday. He first coined the term in a security conference last
Prosecutors today declined to say who was questioned regarding alleged forgery on petitions to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators, after Chinese-language media earlier reported that members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Youth League were brought in for questioning. The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau confirmed that two people had been questioned, but did not disclose any further information about the ongoing investigation. KMT Youth League members Lee Hsiao-liang (李孝亮) and Liu Szu-yin (劉思吟) — who are leading the effort to recall DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) and Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) — both posted on Facebook saying: “I
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), who led efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), was released on bail of NT$80,000 today amid outcry over his decision to wear a Nazi armband to questioning the night before. Sung arrived at the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning in a recall petition forgery case last night wearing a red armband bearing a swastika, carrying a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and giving a Nazi salute. Sung left the building at 1:15am without the armband and covering the book with his coat. Lee said today that this is a serious
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,912) for advertisements that exceed its approved business scope, requiring the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license may be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter enforcement of Chinese e-commerce platforms and measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan in response to US President Donald Trump’s heavy tariffs on China. The Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee met today to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) said
RSS