Clipping Board » Illness Enters through Mouth ─ The information that has been made public is often just the tip of the iceberg...
United Evening News / Reporters Shao Bingru, Peng Xuanya / Special Report 2012.03.22 03:20 pm
Food safety scandals have come one after another, from lean meat additives and avian flu to the addition of industrial-grade copper sulfate in feed. In each scandal, the agricultural authorities in charge have been labeled with accusations of "concealment." Although the Council of Agriculture (COA) considers the term "concealment" too harsh and insists that officials were merely acting in accordance with the law, a closer examination reveals that the core issue lies in the conservative approach of government agencies and the mentality of some civil servants who rigidly adhere to legal procedures while delaying action. Now, as times change and public expectations rise, the government must reflect deeply and make a thorough transformation. Policies must prioritize transparency, openness, decisiveness, and swift action to dispel public concerns and restore confidence in food safety.
Take the copper sulfate incident as an example. Although the COA conducts annual inspections of feed, it has never disclosed the names of non-compliant feed manufacturers due to long-standing practices. It was only yesterday, under pressure from legislators, that the COA reluctantly revealed one case—the Cargill Taiwan plant in Taichung, which had previously been found to have excessive lead levels in its feed. While the COA emphasized that it could not disclose the information due to ongoing legal proceedings, the prosecutors publicly released all the names yesterday. Couldn’t government agencies have broken through legal constraints earlier, adopted a new mindset, and changed their approach? Instead, they waited until the media extensively covered the issue before deciding to immediately publish the names of violators in the future.
The lean meat additive scandal followed a similar pattern. Every year, 1% to 2% of pig farmers illegally add salbutamol and clenbuterol, but administrative agencies previously refused to disclose this information, citing personal data protection laws. It wasn’t until overwhelming pressure mounted that the Executive Yuan hastily convened a meeting and decided to disclose the names of three repeat offenders under the Consumer Protection Act. However, the delayed announcement predictably sparked backlash from pig farmers, who accused the COA of "settling scores after the fact."
The highly pathogenic avian flu incident also faced accusations of "concealment." While there are established procedures for reporting, testing, and deliberation—with the Animal Health Research Institute responsible for testing, experts for interpretation, and the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine for disease control—many matters were repeatedly delayed due to rigid adherence to laws and standards. If all agencies had followed standard operating procedures with transparency, openness, and swift action in every case, would they have faced such overwhelming accusations of "concealment"?
Now, the food safety scandals have triggered a crisis of public confidence in the government. Agricultural authorities must change their approach—no longer clinging rigidly to regulations or prioritizing industry protection. They must adopt a new mindset, promptly disclosing the names of violators and illegal operators. This would not only root out the bad actors harming the industry and steer operations back on track but also eliminate public concerns, ensuring that people can eat with peace of mind and safety.
Source: http://udn. com/ NEWS/ NATIONAL/ NATS6/ 6979107. shtml#ixzz1pr27IaLS
Hidden: the Gene That Became An Agricultural Unit
Food safety scandals have come one after another, from lean meat additives and avian flu to the addition of industrial-grade copper sulfate in feed. In each scandal, the agricultural authorities in charge have been labeled with accusations of "concealment." Although the Council of Agriculture (COA) considers the term "concealment" too harsh and insists that officials were merely acting in accordance with the law, a closer examination reveals that the core issue lies in the conservative approach of government agencies and the mentality of some civil servants who rigidly adhere to legal procedures while delaying action. Now, as times change and public expectations rise, the government must reflect deeply and make a thorough transformation. Policies must prioritize transparency, openness, decisiveness, and swift action to dispel public concerns and restore confidence in food safety.
Take the copper sulfate incident as an example. Although the COA conducts annual inspections of feed, it has never disclosed the names of non-compliant feed manufacturers due to long-standing practices. It was only yesterday, under pressure from legislators, that the COA reluctantly revealed one case—the Cargill Taiwan plant in Taichung, which had previously been found to have excessive lead levels in its feed. While the COA emphasized that it could not disclose the information due to ongoing legal proceedings, the prosecutors publicly released all the names yesterday. Couldn’t government agencies have broken through legal constraints earlier, adopted a new mindset, and changed their approach? Instead, they waited until the media extensively covered the issue before deciding to immediately publish the names of violators in the future.
The lean meat additive scandal followed a similar pattern. Every year, 1% to 2% of pig farmers illegally add salbutamol and clenbuterol, but administrative agencies previously refused to disclose this information, citing personal data protection laws. It wasn’t until overwhelming pressure mounted that the Executive Yuan hastily convened a meeting and decided to disclose the names of three repeat offenders under the Consumer Protection Act. However, the delayed announcement predictably sparked backlash from pig farmers, who accused the COA of "settling scores after the fact."
The highly pathogenic avian flu incident also faced accusations of "concealment." While there are established procedures for reporting, testing, and deliberation—with the Animal Health Research Institute responsible for testing, experts for interpretation, and the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine for disease control—many matters were repeatedly delayed due to rigid adherence to laws and standards. If all agencies had followed standard operating procedures with transparency, openness, and swift action in every case, would they have faced such overwhelming accusations of "concealment"?
Now, the food safety scandals have triggered a crisis of public confidence in the government. Agricultural authorities must change their approach—no longer clinging rigidly to regulations or prioritizing industry protection. They must adopt a new mindset, promptly disclosing the names of violators and illegal operators. This would not only root out the bad actors harming the industry and steer operations back on track but also eliminate public concerns, ensuring that people can eat with peace of mind and safety.
Source: http://udn. com/ NEWS/ NATIONAL/ NATS6/ 6979107. shtml#ixzz1pr27IaLS