Taipei prosecutors yesterday dropped charges against former Executive Yuan spokesman Ting Yi-ming (丁怡銘) over his claim that the winner of a beef noodle competition had used US beef containing ractopamine.
Ting resigned from the post in November last year after the incident drew criticism from the public, while the owners of the restaurant, Royal Heritage (皇家傳承) in New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋), insisted they use only ractopamine-free beef.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Wang Hong-wei (王鴻薇), New Party Taipei City Councilor Ho Han-ting (侯漢廷) and Taichung City Councilor Lo Ting-wei (羅廷瑋) of the KMT filed a judicial complaint against Ting, accusing him of contravening the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法) by falsifying information and spreading a rumor while serving as a government official.
Taipei prosecutors yesterday said that judicial investigators had communicated with Royal Heritage’s three US beef suppliers and verified that trace amounts of ractopamine were used in the feed for their cattle, albeit within Taiwan’s legally permitted level. The presence of ractopamine was key to the prosecutors’ decision.
“Ting will not be prosecuted, as his comments regarding the restaurant had conformed to the feed process by the suppliers, and concluded he did not present false information, nor engage in spreading a rumor,” the prosecutors said in a statement.
Royal Heritage was among the winners in the three major categories at last year’s Taipei International Beef Noodle Festival.
In responding to prosecutors dropping the charge against Ting, the owners issued a statement expressing their regret.
“Our restaurant imported only from government-approved suppliers of beef products, for cooking and preparing dishes for consumers. The materials in the feedlot are examined by the responsible government agency,” it said.
“This outcome is another blow for us. It is the job of the government agency to test and ensure safety standards,” it added.
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