Ting Yi-ming (丁怡銘) has resigned as Executive Yuan spokesman after wrongly claiming that an award-winning beef noodle soup restaurant serves meat that contains ractopamine.
Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) late on Sunday approved Ting’s resignation with immediate effect, Executive Yuan Secretary-General Li Meng-yen (李孟諺) said yesterday.
Li has been assigned by Su to temporarily fill Ting’s post.
Photo: Chen Wei-tzu, Taipei Times
Ting said that he resigned to take responsibility for trouble caused by his comments last week.
Ting, at a news conference held following the Executive Yuan’s weekly meeting on Thursday, said that the winner in this year’s Taipei International Beef Noodle Festival uses imported US beef containing the leanness enhancer.
The restaurant quickly responded by posting on Facebook a copy of its SGS certification showing that no ractopamine residue was found in its beef.
Ting subsequently walked back the comments, apologized to the restaurant “for any trouble caused” and reiterated that any imported beef which meets Codex Alimentarius Commission standards is safe for consumption.
The statement was condemned by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), which accused Ting of spreading false information as a government spokesman and called on him to resign.
Separately yesterday, KMT Taipei City Councilor Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇), New Party Taipei City Councilor Ho Han-ting (侯漢廷) and KMT Taichung City Councilor Lo Ting-wei (羅廷瑋) filed charges against Ting at the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office, accusing him of breaching the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法), which states that people who intentionally spread false information about food safety issues that incurs damage to the public or another person face a maximum prison term of three years or a fine of NT$1 million (US$34,710).
Greenpeace yesterday said that it is to appeal a decision last month by the Taipei High Administrative Court to dismiss its 2021 lawsuit against the Ministry of Economic Affairs over “loose” regulations governing major corporate electricity consumers. The climate-related lawsuit — the first of its kind in Taiwan — sought to require the government to enforce higher green energy thresholds on major corporations to reduce emissions in light of climate change and an uptick in extreme weather. The suit, filed by Greenpeace East Asia, the Environmental Jurists Association and four individual plaintiffs, was dismissed on May 8 following four years of litigation. The
STAY AWAY: An official said people should avoid disturbing snakes, as most do not actively attack humans, but would react defensively if threatened Taitung County authorities yesterday urged the public to stay vigilant and avoid disturbing snakes in the wild, following five reported snakebite cases in the county so far this year. Taitung County Fire Department secretary Lin Chien-cheng (林建誠) said two of the cases were in Donghe Township (東河) and involved the Taiwan habus, one person was bit by a Chinese pit viper near the South Link Railway and the remaining two were caused by unidentified snakes. He advised residents near fields to be cautious of snakes hiding in shady indoor areas, especially when entering or leaving their homes at night. In case of a
A tropical disturbance off the southeastern coast of the Philippines might become the first typhoon of the western Pacific typhoon season, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The system lacks a visible center and how it would develop is only likely to become clear on Sunday or Monday, the CWA said, adding that it was not yet possible to forecast the potential typhoon's effect on Taiwan. The American Meteorological Society defines a tropical disturbance as a system made up of showers and thunderstorms that lasts for at least 24 hours and does not have closed wind circulation.
DIPLOMACY: It is Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo’s first visit to Taiwan since he took office last year, while Eswatini’s foreign minister is also paying a visit A delegation led by Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo arrived in Taiwan yesterday afternoon and is to visit President William Lai (賴清德) today. The delegation arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 4:55pm, and was greeted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). It is Arevalo’s first trip to Taiwan since he took office last year, and following the visit, he is to travel to Japan to celebrate the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Arevalo said at the airport that he is very glad to make the visit to Taiwan, adding that he brings an important message of responsibility
RSS