Newsletter
FOOD SANITATION ACT AMENDED
On 23 May 2008 the Legislative Yuan enacted amendments to the Food Sanitation Act. The main content of the amendments is as follows:
‧In view of the fact that special nutritional food products, if used improperly, may cause greater harm to health than ordinary food products, the amended Act expressly defines special nutritional food products and empowers the Department of Health (DOH) to order restrictions on the scope, mode, and location of advertisements for such foodstuffs.
‧Because residues of veterinary medicines in food products represent a similar potential hazard to human health to that from agricultural pesticide residues, the amended Act provides for the regulation of veterinary medicine residues.
‧To address the issue of foreign food products or food additives that may pose a risk to public health, provisions are introduced whereby passengers who bring into Taiwan substances designated by the DOH as declarable, must declare them and produce health certification documents issued by the health authorities of the country of origin. Where there is a serious threat to public health, the DOH may forbid passengers to bring such items into Taiwan. Food products or food additives brought into Taiwan in violation of a duty of declaration or a prohibition should be confiscated and destroyed.
‧When necessary for the regulation of food safety and quality control, the DOH may restrict the locations where food products are sold unpackaged, may regulate the mode of sale, and may require the place of origin and other information to be displayed.
‧Media responsibilities with regard to food products advertisements are increased. The time period for which media enterprises are required to retain information on persons or entities commissioning the publication or broadcast of advertisements is extended from two months to six months, and the levels of administrative fines that may be imposed on media enterprises that evade, obstruct, or refuse a request for information on advertisers, or continue to publish or broadcast non-compliant advertisements, are increased.
‧Local government health authorities' powers to order the suspension of a business's operations and to seize items are extended.
‧After an order has been issued setting a deadline for the recall and correction of food products that are not in compliance with labeling requirements, the sale of such items may not be continued prior to such correction.