ROC Office of Food Safety shifts into high gear

2014-10-21

The Cabinet-level Office of Food Safety commenced operations Oct. 20, underscoring the government’s commitment to bolstering national food safety and interagency monitoring efforts.

Comprising senior staffers from the Council of Agriculture, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Health and Welfare and Cabinet-level Office of the Board of Science and Technology, the OFS’s top priority is to implement a proposed three-tier quality control system.

The first act of the OFS was to hold a cross-ministerial meeting related to the system. Presided over by new Minister of Health and Welfare Chiang Been-huang, the gathering addressed key issues and put the pieces in place to move forward with the initiative.

Previously a minister without portfolio, Chiang is the only MOHW minister without a medical or public health background since the ministry and its forerunner the Department of Health was set up in 1971.

According to Cabinet Spokesman Sun Lih-chyun, the system’s first tier involves firms exceeding a certain scale of operation setting up internal hygiene safety laboratories, with smaller outfits outsourcing testing to independent organizations.

Official statistics show there are around 60 certified laboratories in Taiwan. “But with the inclusion of research institutions and universities, this number will rise to 100—more than enough to meet testing needs,” Sun said.

As for the second tier, the Cabinet will assist independent certification bodies enhance food safety certification capabilities and human resources, Sun said.

The third tier, which focuses on government inspections, involves an additional 70 food safety staff working with local authorities in carrying out food safety audits next year. “At the same time, the MOHW will begin evaluating the performance of local governments in overseeing food safety in their jurisdiction,” Sun added.

Other government measures in the works include amendments to the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation. The bill passed first reading Oct. 16 and is expected to clear the legislative floor before the current session ends Dec. 31.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=223014&CtNode=413)