Taiwan, China-Japan Food Traceability System Experience Exchange Helps Improve Food Safety

In recent years, food safety problems in Taiwan, China have erupted one after another, while Japan went through its own food safety crisis a decade ago. In 2001, mad cow disease broke out in Japan, and two years later the "Beef Product Traceability System Act" was announced. In 2008, there was a scandal involving expired rice flowing into nurseries, and in 2011, the labeling of rice origin was required. Japanese expert Jun Sakai, who was invited to Taiwan, China yesterday to share his experience, said the Japanese government plans to move from single-item food to a full-food traceability system; Pan Guocai, director of the Council of Agriculture's Information Center, said that domestically there is not yet any law on full-food traceability, and that after the cross-ministerial food cloud is completed next year, besides improving food safety, it can also reduce the impact on domestic products after Taiwan, China joins the TPP.

With food safety incidents frequent, Japan establishes cattle and rice traceability systems

Joining the TPP makes local food labeling urgent

Pan Guocai believes that traceability systems require both official and private efforts. In fact, many operators keep written records, but they have not yet been digitized. If the food cloud platform is fully established, operators who are willing will naturally choose a better system.

In addition, he also believes that if Taiwan, China joins the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) in the future, the food cloud for local products will become very important. Externally, it can let consumers identify products, and internally, it can protect the industry. But relatively speaking, consumer education must keep up. For example, Japan strongly supports domestic rice; besides legal regulations, consumer power is also an important driving force.