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【China Times Health - Yang Gefei / Taipei Report】 2008.10.29
Mushroom vegetarian balls contain pork and chicken! Vegetarian codfish cakes contain pork and fish meat! The Taipei City Health Bureau yesterday announced the results of random inspections on vegetarian food products adulterated with animal ingredients. Shockingly, six bulk vegetarian products were found to contain pork, chicken, fish, and beef. If monks accidentally consume these, it would be equivalent to breaking their vows.
The Department of Health has stipulated that starting from July 1, 2009 (based on the manufacturing date), any packaged food claiming to be vegetarian must prominently display one of the following labels on its packaging: "vegan or pure vegetarian," "ovo-vegetarian," "lacto-vegetarian," "lacto-ovo-vegetarian," or "plant-based with five pungent spices."
Additionally, terms such as "suitable for vegetarians" will no longer be allowed. Only one of the five aforementioned labels must be displayed. Failure to label or incorrect labeling will result in fines ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$150,000.
To help the public understand this new regulation, the Taipei City Health Bureau recently dispatched personnel to traditional markets and fresh supermarkets to sample 35 vegetarian products. Among them, six were found to contain animal ingredients, with a non-compliance rate of 17%.
These six non-compliant products were all sold in bulk. According to current health management laws, animal ingredients are not allowed in vegetarian products. Unscrupulous businesses will be fined NT$60,000 to NT$300,000 in accordance with the law.
The non-compliant items included "mushroom vegetarian balls" containing pork and chicken, "jade balls" found to contain pork and beef, and four other products—"vegetarian codfish cakes," "lion balls," "precious fruit (vegetarian meatballs)," and "golden balls (small vegetarian meatballs)"—which were found to contain pork and fish meat.
Jiang Yumei, Director of the Taipei City Department of Drug and Food Management, pointed out that to enhance the flavor and texture of vegetarian products, unscrupulous businesses might add animal tissues or use the same production line for non-vegetarian foods, leading to cross-contamination. Some businesses may also use additives containing animal tissues, such as fish paste, meat paste, or animal gelatin, turning vegetarian food into non-vegetarian food.
Jiang Yumei advised consumers to purchase vegetarian products from reputable manufacturers, opting for fully packaged and clearly labeled vegetarian items. She recommended avoiding bulk, low-priced, heavily flavored, or poorly labeled vegetarian products.
Additionally, vegetarians are encouraged to consume more natural fruits and vegetables as well as traditional bean products, and to eat fewer processed vegetarian products like vegetarian fish, vegetarian chicken, and vegetarian meat soups. This is to avoid excessive intake of food additives such as thickeners, binders, bleaches, and sterilizers, which could negatively impact health.
Source: http://health. chinatimes. com/ contents. aspx? cid=1,14& id=3236
Vegetarian Food Found with Pork and Beef; Violators Face Fines of 60,000 to 300,000
Mushroom vegetarian balls contain pork and chicken! Vegetarian codfish cakes contain pork and fish meat! The Taipei City Health Bureau yesterday announced the results of random inspections on vegetarian food products adulterated with animal ingredients. Shockingly, six bulk vegetarian products were found to contain pork, chicken, fish, and beef. If monks accidentally consume these, it would be equivalent to breaking their vows.
The Department of Health has stipulated that starting from July 1, 2009 (based on the manufacturing date), any packaged food claiming to be vegetarian must prominently display one of the following labels on its packaging: "vegan or pure vegetarian," "ovo-vegetarian," "lacto-vegetarian," "lacto-ovo-vegetarian," or "plant-based with five pungent spices."
Additionally, terms such as "suitable for vegetarians" will no longer be allowed. Only one of the five aforementioned labels must be displayed. Failure to label or incorrect labeling will result in fines ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$150,000.
To help the public understand this new regulation, the Taipei City Health Bureau recently dispatched personnel to traditional markets and fresh supermarkets to sample 35 vegetarian products. Among them, six were found to contain animal ingredients, with a non-compliance rate of 17%.
These six non-compliant products were all sold in bulk. According to current health management laws, animal ingredients are not allowed in vegetarian products. Unscrupulous businesses will be fined NT$60,000 to NT$300,000 in accordance with the law.
The non-compliant items included "mushroom vegetarian balls" containing pork and chicken, "jade balls" found to contain pork and beef, and four other products—"vegetarian codfish cakes," "lion balls," "precious fruit (vegetarian meatballs)," and "golden balls (small vegetarian meatballs)"—which were found to contain pork and fish meat.
Jiang Yumei, Director of the Taipei City Department of Drug and Food Management, pointed out that to enhance the flavor and texture of vegetarian products, unscrupulous businesses might add animal tissues or use the same production line for non-vegetarian foods, leading to cross-contamination. Some businesses may also use additives containing animal tissues, such as fish paste, meat paste, or animal gelatin, turning vegetarian food into non-vegetarian food.
Jiang Yumei advised consumers to purchase vegetarian products from reputable manufacturers, opting for fully packaged and clearly labeled vegetarian items. She recommended avoiding bulk, low-priced, heavily flavored, or poorly labeled vegetarian products.
Additionally, vegetarians are encouraged to consume more natural fruits and vegetables as well as traditional bean products, and to eat fewer processed vegetarian products like vegetarian fish, vegetarian chicken, and vegetarian meat soups. This is to avoid excessive intake of food additives such as thickeners, binders, bleaches, and sterilizers, which could negatively impact health.
Source: http://health. chinatimes. com/ contents. aspx? cid=1,14& id=3236