Hsieh Ting-hung, deputy director of the Bureau of Food Safety under the Department of Health (DOH), said Canadian beef entering Taiwan must bear health and hygiene certification issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CIFA) and must be handled and packed by DOH-approved slaughterhouses and packaging facilities in Canada.

Moreover, Hsieh said, the beef should be free of all bone and other animal parts regarded as high risk in terms of the deadly disease. These parts include principally brains and spinal cords.

Taiwan issued an import ban on beef from Canada, the United States, Japan, Britain and several other European Union countries Dec. 31, 2003 amid fears over the threat of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease.

The Canadian government applied to the DOH in March 2004 for lifting the import ban, Hsieh said, adding that the DOH agreed to reopen the doors to Canadian beef with stringent restrictions only after holding 11 rounds of consultative meetings with health experts in terms of BSE prevention measures unveiled by the World Health Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health.

Moreover, Hsieh said, the DOH had sent personnel to Canada for field study and comprehensive assessment before deciding to lift the ban.

Besides demanding the Canadian government produce regular reports on its enforcement of BSE prevention and control measures, Hsieh said the DOH has also asked relevant government agencies, including the Ministry of Economic Affairs, to step up beef safety inspections and to crack down on smuggling.

City and county health bureaus have also been ordered to intensify inspection of supermarket chains and hypermarts to check whether Canadian beef imports meet relevant DOH regulations or requirements.

As of Saturday, Hsieh added that only beef from the United States, New Zealand, Australia and Canada is allowed to enter Taiwan.