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Updated Friday, October 30, 2009 9:23 am TWN, The China Post news staff

Wu has U.S. beef doubts

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- There are growing signs that U.S. beef offal and ground beef will not appear in Taiwan's markets at least in the near future despite the government's agreement last week to open the door wider to U.S. beef products.

Premier Wu Deng-yih said yesterday American cattle viscera and ground beef will not come to the local market because as far as he understands, no importer will be filing applications for importing such products.

Like President Ma Ying-jeou, Wu said the government has no plans to reopen talks with the United States on beef imports for now.

But the premier noted that while the government has maintained friendly procedures and administrative measures for U.S. beef, but those concerning the more controversial products will be more complicated.

Wu stressed that the issue regarding U.S. beef imports is not necessarily about just health risks or food safety, it is all about consumer concerns, so the government needs to face it seriously.

The central government will not object to or interfere with the complementary and preventive measures adopted by local-level administrations to safeguard the health and safety of the people in their areas. The government appreciates such efforts and measures, Wu said.

Su Jun-pin, Executive Yuan (Cabinet) spokesman, said Premier Wu has asked the Bureau of Food Safety under the Department of Health (DOH) at a Cabinet meeting to assist importers of U.S. beef to form an association as a “second tier” regulator to enhance supervision and control of the beef imports.

DOH Minister Yaung Chih-liang said that the government will immediately stop U.S. beef imports if even just one case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, linking to U.S. products is found in Taiwan.

Yaung made the remarks while responding to a question by a ruling Kuomintang (KMT) lawmaker at a legislative committee meeting.

As a sovereign state, the nation has the right to take all necessary measures, including detailed examination of every shipment of the beef products, to protect the people, he said.

Under the mounting public opposition and pressure over the relaxation of U.S. beef imports, Yaung had orally presented a request for resignation. But Premier Wu has turned down his request.

President Ma's own popularity rating also took a drop in some new public opinion polls.

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Comments

October 30, 2009 richard_yu@

I don't understand what the hype is about other than the normal practice of political and media institutions causing unjustifiable concern over a non-issue. What exactly is the "risk" to people's health? I would like to challenge anyone to use existing data about how many people have gotten sick or died (ever) from eating US beef compared to number of consumers, and present it as a quantifiable public "risk" to the public. For me, I'm very much looking forward to eating a juicy, delicious, bone-in rib eye steak, hopefully some time soon!

October 31, 2009 ludahai_twn@

This is all really stupid. There hasn't been a Mad Cow case in the U.S. since March 2006 in the state of Alabama. The World Agriculture Organization said in 2005 that the disease was on the downswing -- and while the problem still exists in Europe, it is not a problem in North America today. I wonder what the rules are on the importation of Japanese beef. Did you know there have been nearly nine times the number of reported cases in Japan as there have been in the U.S. (and 1/3 of U.S. cases were IMPORTED) with a MUCH smaller beef industry. All I see is a bunch of emotional knee-jerk reaction statements from people who really need to look into some of the facts of this as I have the past couple of days.



	Leaders of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) hold signs during protests at the Presidential Office and Executive Yuan in Taipei, demanding the government learn from South Korea and to hold new talks on the beef trade agreement with the U.S. Larger demonstrations are being organized. (CNA) More Photos (2)


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