The government will enforce the law vigorously and revise current regulations to ensure that the nation’s food products are safe, Premier Wu Den-yih said May 31.
“We will stop tainted food products at their source,” Wu said. “Violators of the nation’s food safety codes will be punished to the full extent of the law.”
Officials with the Department of Health said manufacturers adding harmful ingredients to food products will be fined up to NT$10 million (US$344,828) once revisions to the Act Governing Food Sanitation are passed by the Legislature.
“The proposed revisions have been sent to the Cabinet for review,” Government Information Office Minister Philip Yang said. “We hope the amendment can be passed before the current legislative session ends June 14.”
Traces of the plasticizer diethylhexylphthalate (DEHP) in the clouding agent used in bottled sports drinks were discovered May 23.
A similar chemical, diisononylphthalate (DINP), has since been found in some juice products. Scientific reports have shown that the chemicals could increase estrogen, a female hormone, in men.
As many as 506 products sold by 294 companies have been found tainted by either DEHP or DINP, according to the DOH.
The presence of the toxic chemicals in food and drink products has alarmed the public and put enormous pressure on the government to do more to protect the health of the nation’s citizens.
Starting May 31, five types of products－sports drinks, juices, teas, syrups and jams, and tablets and powders－will not be allowed onto shelves unless proof can be provided that they do not contain DEHP and other plasticizers.
So far, 107 distributers nationwide were inspected, the DOH said.
Medical consultation services on the health effects of DEHP are available at 73 hospitals around the nation, according to the DOH.
The drink industry generates NT$49 billion annually in Taiwan, with an estimated loss of NT$10 billion since the outbreak of the incident, Taiwan Beverage Industries Association Secretary-general Chang Jui-chuan said.
Industrial plasticizers, commonly used to produce plasticware, are banned in food manufacturing, with no prior contamination cases reported in Taiwan. (HZW)
Write to Grace Kuo at morningk@mail.gio.gov.tw