Recently, the Taiwan government claims that Taiwan will lift ban on U.S. beef import, which is a six year long ban because of mad cow disease. Taiwan will improve the trade relation with the U.S. because of this.
The Taiwan department of health announced that U.S. bone-in beef entering Taiwan is “from cattle less than 30 months of age and meets other requirements”, and they will import all the part of cattle except the one which is in the high risk of mad cow diseases. That is, cattle parts such as brains, skulls, eyes, spinal nerve roots, tonsils and small intestines, as “particularly risky” and these items remain on lists of export or import bans.
But this new change still arouse the critics from Taiwanese consumers, they argued that the government are not concerned about people’s health.
From the health minister Yang Chih-liang, there will be two limitations for the import of U.S. beef. First, only bone-in beef from cattle less than 30 months old will be allowed to be imported. Second, Importers of US bone-in beef must have export permits and safety guarantees from the US Department of Agriculture.
In 2003, the U.S. broke out the first case of mad cow diseases, then Taiwan forbad the beef import from U.S. But after that, U.S. gave pressure to Taiwan government, to request the import again, reported by local media. And Taiwan also lifted a ban during these years. In that year, Japan, Korea ban US beef imports on mad cow fears.
Taiwan is the sixth large overseas market for U.S. . As far as I am concerned, the issue is not only related to the food safety and food consumes, but more likely a political one between U.S. and Taiwan. Will the people in Taiwan benefit from this? I think the government should clarify it to the people, or it not deserves to exchange people’s health with the political concerns.
Links:
Japan suspends beef imports from US plant
http://money.aol.com/article/japan-suspends-us-plants-beef-amid-mad/712384
Thousands in S Korea beef protest
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7491482.stm
I sometimes wonder what kind of communications responsibility should lie with the food industry which is being allowed back in after an export ban. In this case, it’s the Taiwanese government that has to stand up and explain to its citizens why U.S. beef is safe. Of course, the message would lack credibility if it came only from the U.S. But shouldn’t countries that faced bans have some social responsibility to help their products gain the confidence of citizens who were being protected from them?
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