TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan will not implement comprehensive testing of Australian pork imports despite recent discoveries of ractopamine residue, a controversial livestock feed additive banned in many countries. Health Minister Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) confirmed Thursday (May 8) that authorities would maintain current inspection protocols after Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (食藥署), the island's food safety regulatory agency, detected the muscle-enhancing additive in three separate shipments of frozen pork trotters from Australia.
Speaking before the Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee (立院衛環會), a legislative oversight body within Taiwan's parliament, Minister Chiu sought to reassure legislators about food safety protocols. He emphasized that pork imports meeting established standards would continue to enter Taiwan's market without disruption. The health minister explained that while authorities would intensify scrutiny of shipments from suppliers with previous violations, implementing 100% batch testing remains unnecessary given the advanced artificial intelligence systems already deployed for monitoring imported food products.
Food safety concerns extended beyond testing protocols to labeling requirements, with some citizens questioning whether diplomatic pressure from Washington might influence Taiwan's food origin disclosure policies. Chiang Chih-tse (姜至則), who heads Taiwan's food safety agency, dismissed such speculation as unfounded. "This comment is too much imagination," the official stated, reaffirming that regulations requiring country-of-origin labeling for all imported pork products remain firmly in place. ★