Quanshun Responds to COA Minister: "We Respect the Executive Yuan's Decision, but That Doesn't Mean Quanshun Is a Good Rice Trader"

Quanshun Food Company was exposed last year by Apple Daily for passing off low-priced Vietnamese rice as domestically grown rice. COA Minister Chen Baoji angrily denounced it at the time: "Despicable! Their grain trader registration should be revoked!" Four more violations followed, making it the first operator in 60 years to have its grain trader license revoked. But less than half a year later, the Executive Yuan delivered a slap in the face: Quanshun's administrative appeal succeeded and its license was restored. Yesterday Chen Baoji responded: "We respect the Executive Yuan's decision, but that doesn't mean Quanshun is a good rice trader."

Quanshun's appeal succeeded on the 15th of last month

Quanshun Argues Mislabeling Is a Widespread Phenomenon

In addition to questioning the administrative procedure, Quanshun also argued that the COA's license revocation violated the principles of proportionality and equality. Quanshun pointed out that the mixed rice was all legally imported or domestically produced edible rice, posing no harm to consumers' food safety. But revoking the license would leave over a hundred employees unemployed, render contracts for tens of thousands of tons of public grain unfulfillable, and result in machinery and storage equipment worth hundreds of millions invested by the operator being auctioned off by banks, leaving it facing bankruptcy.

Moreover, rice quality can be affected by climate, soil, varietal improvement and other factors. In a spot check in the third quarter of last year, the COA found 25 grain traders and 33 product items in violation. "This clearly shows that packaged rice nationwide commonly has contents inconsistent with package labeling, a widespread phenomenon in the domestic rice market, yet only the appellant under investigation by prosecutors was penalized with revocation of its grain trader registration certificate, in violation of the principle of equality." Another grain trader, Lianmi Enterprise, had also accumulated 4 penalties, yet the COA has not revoked its license and even gave it the opportunity to present its views, showing inconsistent standards.

But the Executive Yuan did not adopt the above reasons, holding only that the COA had not given Quanshun a chance to improve.

The reporter called multiple times yesterday, but no one answered the mobile phone of Quanshun's proprietress, Ye Shuhui, and the company declined to comment, saying the person in charge was not in.

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