Homemakers United Foundation opposes the import of U.S. beef offal, launches "one person, one opinion" campaign to say no to the Bureau of Foreign Trade
The Ministry of Economic Affairs will soon open imports of six categories of U.S. and Canadian beef offal, including bone marrow, blood vessels, skull meat, cheek meat, esophageal muscle and beef tallow, with the comment period running until March 19. The Homemakers United Foundation opposes opening imports of U.S. and Canadian beef offal, arguing that doing so will increase food safety risks such as mad cow disease, and has launched a one-person-one-comment campaign, calling on consumers to express their opposition to the Bureau of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Jiang Yumei, Director-General of the Food and Drug Administration, said that after discussion by the "Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Expert Consultation Meeting," it was confirmed that the six items of beef offal such as bone marrow do not belong to the category of internal organs, nor are they specified risk materials (SRM), and therefore meet the items that may be imported under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation. Yang Shumei, Deputy Director-General of the Bureau of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, argued that one cannot assume every cow will contract mad cow disease, and that Taiwan's inspections for imports of U.S. and Canadian beef offal are extremely strict, but that the public is still welcome to express their opinions.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs plans to open imports of esophageal muscle, blood vessels, skull meat, cheek meat, bone marrow and beef tallow
On February 12 of this year, the Bureau of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Economic Affairs issued a document "announcing in advance that imports of 6 items of beef offal including skull meat shall require an import permit", planning to allow imports of the esophageal muscle, blood vessels, skull meat, cheek meat, bone marrow and beef tallow of cattle under 30 months of age from the United States and Canada, on the grounds that these six items of beef offal do not belong to "internal organs" and are not within the scope of restrictions under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation. On February 18, this official document was published in the Executive Yuan Gazette, with a 30-day comment period, during which the public may express opinions to the Bureau of Foreign Trade until March 19.
Lai Xiaofen, Secretary-General of the Homemakers United Foundation, argued that the Ministry of Economic Affairs intended to open imports of six items of U.S. and Canadian beef offal before the Lunar New Year holiday, disregarding consumers' concerns that U.S. beef may contain ractopamine and be infected with mad cow disease, and was preparing to open imports on the grounds that the six items of beef offal such as bone marrow are not "internal organs" -- "this is playing word games to force the people to accept it."
FDA: Conclusion of expert meeting -- the six items of beef offal are not internal organs and may be imported in accordance with the law
Jiang Yumei, Director-General of the Food and Drug Administration, said that under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, imports of beef offal that are not internal organs are all lawful, and at the 3rd meeting of the "Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Expert Consultation Meeting" on August 26 last year, it was also confirmed that the esophagus, blood vessels, bone marrow, skull meat, cheek meat, blood and beef fat are beef offal products that are not internal organs, nor are they specified risk materials (SRM), and belong to the items that may be lawfully imported, though for the bone marrow portion the exporting country must be required to certify that the bone marrow is not of skull origin.
Jiang Yumei stressed that opening imports of the six items of U.S. and Canadian beef offal is a policy promoted by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and that the Food and Drug Administration has merely determined that the six items of beef offal such as bone marrow do not belong to internal organs.
Bureau of Foreign Trade: The public is welcome to express opinions
Under the clear division of labor among public agencies, Yang Shumei, Deputy Director-General of the Bureau of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, said that the Bureau of Foreign Trade is currently collecting relevant opinions on opening imports of U.S. and Canadian beef offal, and the public is welcome to express opinions before March 19. She stressed that one cannot assume every cow will contract mad cow disease, that Taiwan's restrictions on imports of U.S. cattle are limited to those under 30 months of age and the non-internal-organ portions, conditions already stricter than those of many countries, and that the 6 non-internal-organ beef offal products planned for import this time also underwent risk assessment by cross-ministerial agencies and experts and scholars, confirming there is no food safety concern.
Yang Shumei said that the Bureau of Foreign Trade website provides a "Q&A on imports of non-internal-organ beef offal", for the public to understand relevant information, and that "the public may express opinions after understanding the situation."
How the public may express opinions: Telephone: 02-23977364 Fax: 02-23970522 Email: [email protected]