The nation's strictest Changhua food safety self-governance ordinance 2.0 is released, with the I-Mei clause included

Sent to the council in October, implementation at the earliest by the end of the year

The Changhua Health Bureau has long paid attention to food safety issues, and last year it led local governments in drafting a "Food Safety Self-Governance Ordinance." This major revision makes operators' responsibilities clearer and reduces the gray areas for frontline enforcement personnel.

Yeh Yen-po said the earlier drafting took place in the aftermath of the Ting Hsin oil-adulteration case, but many food safety problems have occurred in recent years, and the county government believed it was necessary to raise the level of food safety and broaden its scope, which is why this year was chosen for the major revision. Because school lunches fall under the Education Department, and factories involve the construction and management authority, the matter was elevated to county government-level coordinated management.

The draft is expected to be sent to the council in October. If it passes smoothly, it will be submitted to the central authorities for reference, and could take effect as early as the end of this year or early next year. Next Tuesday (September 22) at 4 p.m., the county government will hold a public briefing at the Changhua Performance Hall.

Nine major points of the "Changhua County Food Safety Management Self-Governance Ordinance" revision:

1. Food safety management upgraded, competent authority elevated to the Changhua County Government.

Article 2: The competent authority of the self-governance ordinance is the Changhua County Government, coordinating the relevant management responsibilities of the Health Bureau, Public Works Department, Legal Affairs Department, Education Department, Agriculture Department, Environmental Protection Bureau, Police Bureau, Information Department, and others.

2. Diverted management of chemical raw materials and food additives.

Article 12: Food additive businesses that primarily sell to food operators and also sell chemical raw materials shall separately set up storage areas and display areas for food additives and chemical raw materials, and mark them separately with wording; the chemical raw material display area shall be marked with "Chemical raw materials sold in this area shall not be used for food purposes" or equivalent wording.

When operators in the first paragraph sell chemical raw materials that are not food additives, they shall proactively ask the buyer about the purpose of purchase, and proactively inform them that the chemical raw materials shall not be used for food purposes.

3. Food of unknown origin brought under legal regulation.

Article 13: When food operators use or sell food, in addition to complying with the provisions of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, the food shall have a clear source, including the name, address and telephone number of the upstream supplier or other information sufficient to trace the source.

4. Food operators required to report within a time limit, proactively announce, and accept corporate ethics for major violations.

Article 15: When food operators discover that food or food additives they manufacture or sell pose a risk to health and safety, they shall proactively notify the county Health Bureau within twenty-four hours of discovery, and proactively stop manufacturing, importing, processing, selling and handling recalls, and announce information on stopping use or consumption.

5. Handling campus food safety education, and production regulations for food operators supplying campuses.

Article 22: For food provided by school student and staff consumer cooperatives and school lunches, if produced by a food operator without factory registration, documentary proof issued by the competent health authority in its jurisdiction showing no record of major violation penalties for food manufactured or sold within one year must be attached.

6. Police to join food safety inspections.

Article 28: The county Police Bureau shall assign personnel to assist in executing inspections or crackdowns and related safety maintenance matters under this self-governance ordinance.

7. Supervising operators to propose consumer rights protection plans.

Article 20: When the competent health authority determines that an operator has violated food safety and sanitation-related laws and regulations, and the food it manufactures or sells poses a risk of harming consumers' life, body, health or property, the county government's Legal Affairs Department shall instruct the county Consumer Service Center to urge the operator to make public explanations and propose plans to protect consumer rights.

8. Agricultural product wholesale markets to set rules on fruit and vegetable pesticide management and registration-based management of traditional market food operators.

Article 19: The county government's Public Works Department shall supervise the township (town, city) offices of the county to implement registration-based management of food operators operating in public retail markets, public temporary vendor assembly sites and private retail markets within their jurisdictions.

Article 23: Agricultural product wholesale markets shall set rules on inspection and handling procedures for pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables entering the market, and report them to the county government's Agriculture Department for approval and implementation accordingly.

9. Zoning and labeling management of food for disposal.

Article 27: Food operators' food storage areas shall be clearly separated from areas awaiting disposal and return areas, and marked separately. Food operators shall regularly inspect stored food and promptly clear food that has deteriorated or passed its expiry date. If the food mentioned in the preceding paragraph that has deteriorated or passed its expiry date is waste, its clearing and handling methods shall comply with the provisions of relevant laws and regulations.