Premier Su Tseng-chang says that all businesses that sell pork must let consumers know which country their pork comes from. Su was speaking on Wednesday, just two days before Taiwan opens up its market to US pork containing the additive ractopamine.
The move to ease restrictions on US pork containing ractopamine lifts a major stumbling block in US-Taiwan trade ties, but it has proven controversial. There is lingering concern in Taiwan about whether ractopamine is safe for human consumption.
It is unlikely that much pork containing the additive will actually end up in Taiwan: importers responsible for most of Taiwan’s pork imports have pledged not to sell it. Still, some have expressed concerns that they or their children may unknowingly eat pork treated with ractopamine. To ease these concerns, the government has mandated that all businesses that sell pork, from importers to restaurants, must post place-of-origin labels.
The premier said that businesses are free to use stickers created by government agencies to certify that pork comes from Taiwan. He also said that businesses are free to create their own labels. However, he said that labels are a must, and those who do not post anything will face fines.
Su also said that although major importers have pledged not to import pork containing ractopamine, the government will still impose stringent checks on all pork coming into the country. He said that he will personally go to observe this inspection work sometime in the New Year.