Legislators urge tougher penalties for tainted food

Legislator Chang Hsien-yao announced at a press conference that his plan has won support from other KMT lawmakers.

Officials from the Department of Health (DOH) and the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) also voiced support for Chang's proposal.

Chang pointed out that the current law only stipulates fines between NT$60,000 and NT$300,000 for using plasticizers like carcinogen di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) or other toxic substances in food and beverages, not enough to deter unconscionable food processors and suppliers from harming consumers.

An integrated registration mechanism should be set up to record all information concerning raw materials, components, additives, manufacturing and packaging to help manage every step of the food and beverage supply chain, Chang said.

Such a product identity system will also help to track products, he added.

A cross-ministerial meeting was also held in Taipei yesterday to discuss amending regulations to increase penalties for adding toxic plasticizers to food and beverage products.

Hsiao Mei-ling, a vice minister at the DOH, said the DOH is working closely with various government agencies to come up with draft amendments to the Act Governing Food Sanitation by the end of this week to prevent more food-scare incidents from happening,

The attending representatives included officials from the DOH, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), the EPA and the Consumer Protection Commission.

Stiffer fines

“The fines will be raised and violators will also face criminal charges,” Hsiao said in a press conference.

“The draft revision will be sent to the Executive Yuan and the Legislative Yuan for approval as fast as possible,” said Hsiao.

Though unable to provide further details on the proposed draft, she noted that the amendment will strengthen the present food hygiene management measures.

The DOH and MOEA, for example, will also work out a more systematic mechanism to regulate factories manufacturing food additives and possibly demand certified specialists to supervise the production process.

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