Labeling agricultural water as mineral water and groundwater as alpine cold spring water is illegal and will be penalized
The Executive Yuan's inter-ministerial task force on food safety inspections recently conducted spot checks on packaged drinking water factories and water refill stations across Taiwan, China, and found that the "Yiguandao Baoguang Jiande Natural Silicon Crystal Mineral Spring Enterprise Society" in Hualien County was using agricultural water while labeling and selling it as mineral spring water, a serious violation of water rights usage. The company has now been ordered to suspend the production and sale of mineral spring water.
In addition, the inspection found that 3 water refill stations in Hualien County could not produce proof of water rights, while Fuyishi International Co., Ltd. in Pingtung County was extracting groundwater but labeling its outer packaging as high-mountain cold spring water. In response, the local health bureau has required the operator to recall the products and correct the labeling.
The "Yiguandao Baoguang Jiande Natural Silicon Crystal Mineral Spring Enterprise Society," located in Ji'an Township, Hualien County, and drawing water from the Ji'an River, applied to the water authority in the name of agricultural water use. Wu Jiaheng, section chief of the Water Resources Agency under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, said that the enterprise society instead illegally used the water for industrial purposes. Water extraction by the enterprise has now been stopped, and a fine of 20,000 yuan was imposed under the Water Act. If the enterprise society wishes to continue producing mineral spring water in the future, it must submit a supplementary application to the water authority before it may use the water.
As for inspections of the sanitary conditions of drinking water, a total of 4 non-compliant products were found this time, including Haishan Industrial in New Taipei City, Wanxing Water Purification in Changhua County, and Duofu Water Life Hall in Tainan City. Jiang Baoren, section chief of the Northern Regional Management Center of the Food and Drug Administration under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, advised that when buying drinking water, the public should choose reputable stores and carefully review the information listed on the product before purchase, including the type of water source and the water rights certificate number.
In addition to drinking water, a recent spot check of eggs sold on the market by the Council of Agriculture found that AGG eggs sold by Wu Ji Egg Products in Sanxia District, New Taipei City, were found to contain nicarbazin at 0.02 ppm (the standard is that it must not be detected). The eggs came from Linli Ranch in Changhua County, and the case has been handed over to the Changhua County Government for handling in accordance with the law.
