Taiwan to Improve Food-Tracking System Following Scare

By PAUL MOZUR And JENNY W. HSU  TAIPEI—Taiwan's government pledged to introduce an improved food-tracking system as it struggles to contain a food safety crisis that has led to the recall of more than 9,000 products and badly damaged the island's reputation as a reliable exporter. The crisis surfaced late last month when Taiwanese food regulators discovered during routine testing six types of chemicals known as plasticizers, widely used to soften plastic containers, in foods, beverages and medicines. Among the 16 countries and territories that received the contaminated products are the U.S., mainland China and South Korea. Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, speaking late Wednesday night following a meeting on the problem, called it "a serious blow" to Taiwan's reputation for food safety, and promised it wouldn't happen again. "This is an industrial material; that it ended up in our food products is unimaginable," he said. The president said that government efforts to address the problem represented the largest effort in Taiwan's history to ensure food safety, and that further measures were being discussed to guarantee safety. The legislature is expected to pass a bill on Friday that would add jail sentences and steeper fines for food producers who release contaminated products that harm individuals. Earlier in the day, Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang said the new food-tracking system would be mandatory—currently producers can opt out of the system—in an effort to restore consumer confidence and to increase the speed with which it can respond to future contaminations. The new system would be put in place within three months, he said, without giving details on how it would work. Mr. Shih estimated the incident could directly reduce domestic food producers' revenue by NT$10 to NT$20 billion (US$348 million to US$696 million) this year alone. He blamed "a few dishonest businessmen" for the crisis. The government said it traced the source of the plasticizers to two downstream suppliers, which used them as an alternative to more-expensive palm oil to enrich the color and enhance the consistency of ingredients. The two, Yu Shen Chemical Co. and Pin Han Perfumery Co., sold the tainted materials to more than 400 Taiwanese companies, including food giant Uni-President Enterprises Corp., according to government authorities. Taiwan police have detained Lai Chun-chieh, owner of Yu Shen, and Chen Che-hsiung, owner of Pin Han Perfumery. Neither company could be reached for comment. Scientific research about plasticizers is scant, but long-term exposure is thought to harm the development of children's reproductive systems and also to potentially cause cancer, according to Taiwan's Department of Health. Critics say the government should take greater responsibility, arguing that the chemicals should have been detected earlier and that the government didn't act quickly enough once it discovered the problem. "Taiwan's food safety is internationally recognized, and that's why Taiwanese food makers are widely welcomed when they invest abroad, such as in China and Southeast Asia," said Chan Chang-chuan, a professor at National Taiwan University's Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene. "The fiasco has greatly marred Taiwan's image and will take decades to regain the reputation that took over 50 years to build up." He added that Taiwan should consider inviting regulators from other countries, such as the U.S., to oversee adjustments to the island's food-safety regulations. Since announcing the contamination, Taiwan's Department of Health has conducted spot checks at more than 16,000 local stores and required potentially affected producers to verify their products have tested negative for the additives. The government also notified the World Health Organization in late May and provided information to other countries that might have been affected. The new tracking system would complement additional regulations, including a tighter control of plasticizers, greater oversight of food suppliers and new additive standards, as part of a campaign to restore consumer trust, according to Philip Yang, spokesman for the cabinet.