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pic.: No.1 "comment Taiwan foods" on Baidu, 2026-7-15, 2026-5-2, 2026-2-14, 2025-12-28
  No.1 "comment Taiwan food" on Baidu, 2026-7-15

　

　

  

pic.: No.1 "comment Taiwan foods" on Yandex (Russia), 2026-7-15, 2026-2-14, 2024-5-13, 2024-3-30, 2024-3-8, 2024-2-24; No.2 "comment Taiwan foods" on Yandex Russia, 2025-11-30   

　


 pic.: No.2 "comment Taiwan food" on Yandex (Russia), 2026-2-14, No.1 "comment Taiwan food" on Yandex (Russia), 2024-11-6, 2024-5-13, 2024-3-30, 2024-3-8, 2023-10-6, 2023-8-25, 2023-6-25;

　

pic.: No.1 "comment Taiwan food" on Bing (USA), 2024-3-30, 2024-3-8, 2024-2-24, 2023-10-6, 2023-8-25, 2023-6-25, 2023-2-1, 2022-2-21, 2021-6-24, 2021-4-18, 5-28-2020;  No.1~4 "comment Taiwan food", "comment Taiwan foods" on US Bing, Yahoo Taiwan, 7-12-2019

　

　

Taiwan foods   ──  The concentration of DEHP metabolites
●  New York Times, 2026-5-9: People use more plastic in Taiwan than almost anywhere else in the world.  At a street market where people shop for staples — fresh soy milk, ground pork — almost every item goes in its own plastic bag. Restaurants pack noodles and dumplings, bubble tea in plastic bags;  Plastic touches nearly every stage of making those dumplings.
 Clinics dispense pills and herbs in plastic bags; since Iran War, in paper bags, though those contain plastic sleeves nytimes.com/2026/05/09/business/taiwan-plastic-bag-shortage.html
●  United Daily 聯合報 (Taiwan), 2026-4-30: The concentration of DEHP metabolites—byproducts of plasticizers—found in the bodies of Taiwanese individuals is surprisingly approximately two to seven times higher than that observed in advanced nations such as Germany, the United States, and Canada; notably, concentrations within the demographic under the age of 18 are even higher than those found in adults. Dietary habits involving eating out likely constitute the primary source of this exposure, including serving breakfast soy milk in plastic bags, reheating takeout bento boxes containing hot food, packaging delivered hot soups in paper bowls (which feature an inner plastic lining), and refrigerating hot food after wrapping it in plastic cling film。 udn.com/news/story/7266/9474099?from=ddd-umaylikenews_ch2_story&source=ddd_non_heavy

　

Taiwan's biggest food safety scandal in years     ──    carcinogen cooking oil
●  South China Morning Post, 2026-7-18: chairwoman of the main opposition party (KMT), accused the government of covering up the scandal, and a lack of transparency had left consumers unaware of how much contaminated oil they might have consumed.。Beijing : the DPP government disregards for people's health.   msn.com/en-xl/news/other/will-taiwan-s-food-safety-scandal-wreck-the-dpp-s-local-election-hopes/ar-AA28aoxs?ocid=BingNewsSerp ●  Taipei Times, Focus Taiwan, 聯合報, 2026-7-2:  Cooking oil products recalled over carcinogen levels.

FDA (gov.) orders recall after contaminated batch distributed to major food manufacturers.   The number of affected downstream food businesses has risen to approximately 300. Only 17 of 1,300 metric tons of carcinogenic salad oil recovered; FDA: Finished products like chicken nuggets and salad dressings will not be recalled.   However, food technologists do not buy this view.  The government remains tight-lipped regarding the timeframes for raw material customs declarations and inspections, refusing to disclose the details. taiwannews.com.tw/news/6393841 

udn.com/news/story/124940/9605362?from=ddd-umaylikenews_ch2_story&source=ddd_non_heavy 
udn.com/news/story/124940/9606861
●  Global Times, 2026-7-17:  While the public was most concerned about how many tainted products remained on the market , the authorities did little more than oscillate between procedural explanations, jurisdictional buck-passing, and reactive clarifications. globaltimes.cn/page/202607/1366230.shtml 

●  China Times, 2026-7-16: In the face of a major food safety scandal, DPP lawmakers have collectively remained silent .  The government even relaxes the maximum residue limit for the insecticide fenpyroximate on U.S. apples from 0.5 ppm to 3 ppm—a sixfold increase.    ●  聯合報, 2026-7-15 : When the tainted oil scandal broke, the government immediately sought to suppress the news, claiming the businesses involved were "victim" too; which bought them precious time to destroy evidence.

Before the truth was fully revealed or the recall of products completed, the government astonishingly announced that the goods could go back on the shelve.
udn.com/news/story/7338/9628072?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub7338_pulldownmenu_v2

　

●  Global Times, 2026-4-29:  Under the so-called reciprocal trade agreement between Taiwan and the US , Taiwan has lowered inspection and quarantine standards for US potato imports - allowing sprouted potatoes to be shipped to the island and sparking public concerns and panic...the DPP authorities blatantly abandons the bottom line of food safety and once again sacrificing the people's health as a "ticket of allegiance" to curry favor with the USglobaltimes.cn/page/202604/1360066.shtml

　

●  RTI.org (Taiwan), 2026-4-24: Taiwan relaxes US potato import rules, sparking food safety concerns. Previously, Taiwan's quarantine standards required that if any sprouting was detected in imported potatoes at the border, the entire shipment would typically be rejected and returned. rti.org.tw/en/news?uid=3&pid=204817

　

●  PotatoPro, 2026-4-23:  revised rules in 2026 allow shipments with sprouting, rot or mold to enter, provided the affected potatoes are sorted out and disposed of at processing facilities. The policy sparked concerns and fears that sprouted potatoes containing toxic glycoalkaloids (including solanine) could be processed into food products, posing a potential risk of food poisoning.  KMT caucus yesterday said it is an indisputable scientific fact that sprouted potatoes are toxic.  KMT questions whether Taiwan has sufficient border inspection personnel to turn over each potato and check "every single one," and whether it has laboratory testing capacity.potatopro.com/es/news/2026/taiwan-strengthens-inspection-rules-imported-us-processing-potatoes

　

●  Taipei Times, 2026-2-14: The Agreement on Reciprocal Trade between Taiwan and the US sparked heated debates as it includes changes to Taiwan's regulations on US beef imports, allowing the import of beef from cattle under 30 months of age, including skulls, brains, eyes, spinal cords, ground beef and certain offal.  KMT Legislator Chen C.H.said that Taiwan's eating habits differ from international norms, with a much higher consumption of offal compared to the EU and the US. Noting local dishes like braised snacks and “black-and-white cuts” often include offal; “Has the ministry conducted a comprehensive risk assessment? If not, they should not open up the market hastily.” taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/02/14/2003852316

　

 import restrictions on Japanese food items
●NHK, 2025-11-21 ●Anadolu Agency, 2025-11-21
Taiwan has lifted all remaining import restrictions on Japanese food items imposed after the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. After dropping restrictions, testing reports for radioactive substances are no longer required for foods from the prefectures of Fukushima, etc. Certificates of origin are no longer necessary for any Japanese food products.  Taiwan gov. said it sought public comments on lifting the restrictions, and that there was no opposition. The Chinese Foreign Ministry claimed that Japan had failed to “fulfill its regulatory responsibilities to ensure product quality and safety for aquatic products.”Beijing subsequently moved to suspend imports of Japanese seafood. Imports were recently resumed after a two-year ban over release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
●Global Times, 2025-11-23: Taiwanese netizens overwhelmingly criticize the DPP authorities opening the door to imports of nuclear-contaminated food.  KMT legislator Lee Y.h. questioned the decision, saying that Lai Ching-te authorities’ lifting all restrictions on Fukushima food at a sensitive time once again placed political calculations above the public interests. In China, agricultural and marine products from 10 prefectures, including Fukushima and Miyagi, remained banned.  Japan had previously committed to fulfill its regulatory responsibility to guarantee the quality and safety of its aquatic products exported to China.  However, Japan has so far failed to provide the required technical documents globaltimes.cn/page/202511/1348858.shtml

　

●  OCAC.gov: Nov. 10 (CNA) More than 150,000 eggs potentially contaminated with high residues of the pesticide fipronil-sulfone have entered the market in 10 municipalities throughout Taiwan.   United Daily 聯合報 (Taiwan), 2025-11-12: Every time a new food safety or animal disease incident breaks out, the authorities are always unable to answer why it happened again, or why they are always a step behind to notice the public.  This time poison-eggs incident is the same.  udn.com/news/story/7339/9133254?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub7339_pulldownmenu_v2  

　

●  TaiwanPlus (video) , 2025-9-5: Taiwan, Japan to talk lifting ban on produce linked to radiation concerns msn.com/en-us/politics/government/taiwan-japan-to-talk-lifting-ban-on-produce-linked-to-radiation-concerns/vi-AA1LVLhj?ocid=BingNewsVerp

　

●  The Independent (UK), 2024-3-13: The cancer-causing Chinese food colouring that has sparked an inquest in Taiwan. Chili powder adulterated with ‘Sudan Red’ has flooded the markets of Taiwan.  The dye has been classified as a Group 3 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The UK among other nations has banned the lipid-soluble "toxic substance" from being used in food products.  Sudan Red was purchased by the Army Logistics Command's Non-staple Food Supply Center.   msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-cancer-causing-chinese-food-colouring-that-has-sparked-an-inquest-in-taiwan/ar-BB1jOKwg   Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

●

●  United Daily 聯合報 (Taiwan), 2024-11-6:  Sudan Red has been found in turmeric (kunyit) powders  imported from India.  The poison products had been distributed to 9 counties and cities including Taipei, TaoYuan etc。 tw.news.yahoo.com/快訊-蘇丹紅禍首找到了-食藥署-印度薑黃粉-有問題-041300374.html

●

●  United Daily 聯合報 (Taiwan), 2024-3-30: food safety issues have exploded one after another. From clenbuterol(瘦肉精Ractopamine), Sudan Red (蘇丹紅) to red yeast rice (紅麴), the "politics in command" government has been slow to deal with the problem.  They mostly were "shifting the blame" instead of "solving the problem", they were inactive after receiving and seeing poison-food reports, they lack of alertness, enthusiasm and specialty.   udn.com/news/story/7338/7865997?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2

●

●  You don't know if the milk is fresh or not !

♣ United Daily 聯合報 (Taiwan), 2024-5-16: Should the Taiwanese stores disclose whether a latte or dairy-containing food is using 'real' or 'fake' fresh milk?   Since the government does not pay attention to the issue, The dairy industries follow and play word games to deceive customers.   Some imported dairy products or milk are Ultra-high-temperature (UHT) pasteurization, but still are labeled "fresh milk" or "fresh raw milk", some shops use brick milk (including 5 star hotel restaurants, very expensive chain coffee shops, and convenience shops, etc) or stuffs from milk powder, however, the customers do not have the rights to know.

udn.com/news/story/121823/7967177?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub121823_pulldownmenu_v2

♣ United Daily 聯合報 (Taiwan),  2024-7-12: Only 10% stores (high-end/high-price restaurants,  convenience shops, etc) discloses related info.; the government ignores the issue.
udn.com/news/story/121823/8090039?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub121823_pulldownmenu_v2

♣ Food Renegade : UHT milk is more difficult to digest for many people than fresh raw milk or even vat-temp pasteurized milk. 

♣ Quora: The problem with UHT milk is it alters the taste and Americans like their milk fresh and cold. UHT also degrades some of the nutrient value and the proteins degrade faster.   quora.com/Why-does-the-US-not-have-UHT-milk

♣ Britannica:  Ultra-high-temperature (UHT) pasteurization involves heating milk or cream to 138–150 °C (280–302 °F) for one or two seconds.

●

●  United Daily 聯合報 (Taiwan), 2024-8-20: Schoolboys' fresh milk become  extended shelf life milk (länger haltbare Milch)   (學童「班班喝鮮乳」變「班班喝保久乳」) udn.com/news/story/121823/8172668?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub121823_pulldownmenu_v2

　

●  United Daily 聯合報 (Taiwan), 2024-3-14: Food safety and social safety in Taiwan are "jerry-building" with "land-mines" everywhere, because of (1) the gov. officials' incapacity and dereliction of duty - their policy is food company's "self-discipline"  (2) border management system issue  -  once discovering offences of illegal goods, they return them instead of destroying goods and penalty/punishment of the company (3) the gov. ignores small companies.  

●

●  China Times (Taiwan), 2024-3-7: A series of food safety controversies have clearly shown that the government responsible for food safety control are lazy and passive.  They not only allow problematic foods to flow into the market, but also refuse to admit their mistakes after making news. Now, even green chili powder has been found to contain Sudan III (Sudan Red '蘇丹紅') .  The public's confidence on Taiwan food safety has collapsed. chinatimes.com/opinion/20240307004244-262101?chdtv

　

●  United Daily 聯合報 (Taiwan), 2024-3-8: Sudan III food safety risk expanded to the entire Taiwan, affecting food industry chain.  This systematic event is the most serious food safety issue in recent years.  Taiwan's government - The food and Drug Admin. took a negative attitude, resulting in illegal businessmen took advantage of the loophole to import a huge amount of Sudan III  ... udn.com/news/story/121823/7816857?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub121823_pulldownmenu_v2

●●

●  Food Safety Magazine Editorial, 2024-6-3:  Taiwan Food and Drug Authority (TFDA) has implemented new requirements for fishery products for human consumption imported into Taiwan.

●

　

● the U.S. Trade Representative's Office issued its 2024 report on foreign trade barriers  ustr.gov/sites/default/files/2024%20NTE%20Report.pdf

● The China Times (中時), 2024-4-2  
 The Taiwan authorities have rejected bids from U.S. rice exporters under its country specific quota (CSQ) regime. Taiwan's ceiling price mechanism is not made public, raising concerns that prices are arbitrarily set lower than the levels bid by U.S. exporters, causing the tenders to fail. ......


Taiwan implemented country of origin labeling requirements for a range of pork products, including processed pork products. ... simultaneously implementing maximum residue limits (MRLs) for ractopamine in imported pork, inaccurately implied that there is a food safety concern with U.S. pork products, including pork produced with ractopamine.

　

Taiwan has not addressed other longstanding barriers to U.S. beef products. Claiming BSE concerns, Taiwan continues to ban imports of certain U.S. beef products (e.g., ground beef) even ... Taiwan imposes onerous port-of entry inspection procedures that are not science-based on certain U.S. beef offal products. Taiwan continues to restrict the importation of bovine blood products for animal consumption and bulk shipments of tallow from the United States, citing concerns related to BSE.

　

Taiwan also implemented MRLs for ractopamine in imported pork kidney and other edible parts (e.g., offal other than kidney and liver) that are more restrictive than the Codex MRLs. The United States is concerned that Taiwan’s MRLs for imported pork kidney and other edible parts do not reflect consumption exposure. The United States is also concerned that Taiwan’s method of testing for ractopamine residue is not aligned with methods of analysis for ractopamine recommended by Codex, and could provide inaccurate results...

　

美國《2024年對外貿易障礙評估報告》，特別點名了台灣的多項食安政策，要求台灣廢除校園餐點不得使用生技食材的禁令，也關切台灣要求美豬須落實原產地標籤的政策，並敦促台灣全面開放對美牛及其產品的市場，其他還包括台灣稻米採購制度之透明化、進口含酒精飲料課稅高等議題。

If the United States insists Taiwanese children eating those food with safety concerns, will the ruling party government, which has always been obedient to the Big Brother, dare to say No to the U.S. ?

　

　

　

　

　

 
 pic.: No.1 "comment Taiwan food" on Yahoo (Taiwan), 2024-3-30, 2024-3-8, 2024-2-24, 2023-10-6, 2023-8-25, 2023-2-1, 2022-9-17; No.2 at 2023-6-25

      

pic.: No.1 "Taiwan food safety" on Yandex (Russia), 2024-5-13, 2024-3-30, 2024-3-8, 2024-2-24, 2023-10-6, 2023-8-25  (Chinese version)

　

　


　

pic.: No.1 "comment Taiwan food" on Yahoo (USA), 2024-3-8, 2019-10-25, No.1 on MetaGER.de (Europe) , 10-25-2019, No.2 at 2024-3-8。

　

●  United Daily 聯合報 (Taiwan), 2024-3-10:  Taiwan's government found out Sudan III already penetrated into food chain in 2018, and announced this to the public, but now they change the phrase to classify Sudan III as Class 3 carcinogens.  The premier stated Sudan III event has turned into individual cases earlier, but now he can not help but to admit this is a systematic issue. udn.com/news/story/7338/7820535?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2

　

●  United Daily (Taiwan), 2024-2-7: The government remains inactive dampening public confidence in food safety   udn.com/news/story/7338/7759932?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub7338_pulldownmenu_v2

●  UDN 經濟日報 (Taiwan), 2024-2-28: Relevant food safety measures are obviously not in place. This Cimbuterol incident has once again exposed the lack of supporting domestic food safety measures and implementation capacity

 

●  United Daily (Taiwan), 2024-2-24: Taiwanese government premier 陳建仁 dances around the question concerning Taiwan Sugar Corp.'s Ractopamine (瘦肉精) pork and Cimbuterol meat ; this "truthlessness" phenomenon has gradually become a major feature of the government - DPP lawmakers harbor government's mistakes and dirts.  udn.com/news/story/7338/7788866?from=udn_ch2_menu_v2_main_cate   brief

　

●  United Daily (Taiwan), 2023-10-6:  When it comes to imported Ractopamine pig (pork), the government has been always giving vague phrases or just denied.  Now the mysterious pork were eventually found  - 150 thousands kg US pork were labeled as British or Canadian pork and were distributed to local restaurants and stalls, almost all of which were eaten by Taiwanese people already ... some pork were even processed and mixed with mutton for sale, the public trust on food safety policy is collapsed!  udn.com/news/story/7338/7487885?from=udn_ch2_menu_v2_main_cate     chinatimes.com/opinion/20231005004589-262101?chdtv

　

●  United Daily (Taiwan), 2023-9-24:  "Food Safety issues remain" (食安未解，民主停更) - Chicken eggs issue forces minister of Agriculture (農業部長陳吉仲) and president of Naif.org both to step down ...the most horrible thing is that the whistleblower has been threaten to shut his mouth up by harming his family members...  udn.com/news/story/7338/7460993?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub7338_pulldownmenu_v2

　

●  United Daily (Taiwan), 2023-9-29:  We don't see the judiciary cracking down black-heart foods,  the prosecution and the investigation both are reduced to check political climate before taking legal action. (不見雷厲風行查黑心食品  檢調淪落到看政治風向辦案) vip.udn.com/vip/story/122367/7471373?from=udn-category

　

●  DailyMail (UK), 2023-4-28:  Young Australian student on his dream overseas exchange program is fighting for his life in Taiwan after eating food laced with rat poison.  He had been misdiagnosed in Taiwan with an immune disorder.  Alex is at the Taipei Medical University Hospital ...The medical services in Taiwan don't currently have the right treatments or drugs to stabilise his condition, Alex's condition has grown worse and he needs to be flown to the Royal Prince Albert Hospital in Sydney via a specialised medical flight retrieval service.  dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12023841/Toowoomba-student-exchange-Taiwan-fighting-life-eating-food-laced-rat-poison.html


●  Nature, 2023-6-22:  Despite concerns from several nations and international groups, Japan is pressing ahead with plans to release water contaminated by the 2011 meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean; continuing for the next 30 years ;  it will be safe for ocean health and human health?” asks marine biologist at the University of Hawaii. “The answer is ‘no’.”“If you eat something that’s radioactively contaminated with β-emitters, your cells inside are being exposed.”...concerned the tritium could concentrate in the food web as larger organisms eat smaller contaminated ones.   ●  New York Times, brief, 2023-9-1: Scientists have said that Japan's release of water would have a very low effect on human health or the environment. ●  Global Times, 2023-8-24 : Not only the Chinese, but also Koreans and other Asians will most likely not eat tuna and salmon imported from Japan anymore.  globaltimes.cn/page/202308/1296906.shtml

●  Global Times,  2023-6-5  globaltimes.cn/page/202306/1291967.shtml:   the first agreement under the so-called “Initiative on 21st Century Trade”-   In terms of agricultural and livestock products, the so-called agreement does not mention any inspection and quarantine of agricultural and livestock products or food safety issues.

　

●  China Times (中時), 2023-6-22 editorial : Facing Japan, Taiwan's ruling DPP always goes down on its knees, putting national dignity and national interest behind.  Greenpeace pointed out that the Fukushima nuclear sewage contains more types of radioactive substances with higher radioactivity than those sewage produced by general nuclear power plants。chinatimes.com/opinion/20230623002452-262101?chdtv

　

●  United Daily (台灣  聯合報) , 2023-9-3 : Chicken eggs imported from Brasil by 「超思」contain Florfenicol, FF  0.021ppm、Florfenicol amine 0.008ppm    udn.com/news/story/6656/7412884?from=udn_ch2cate6638sub6656_pulldownmenu_v2   PS:  China Times, 2023-9-5: chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20230905004866-260407?chdtv

　

●  United Daily (台灣  聯合報) ,  2023-6-15 : imported US pork 'disappear', the commentators question mislabeling.    udn.com/news/story/7338/7236080?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2   ●  United Daily (經濟日報社論),  editorial, 2023-2-1: Food safety is an anxious issue for Taiwanese people udn.com/news/story/7338/6940503?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub7338_pulldownmenu_v2

　

●  Global Times,  2022-9-17 (globaltimes.cn/page/202209/1275446.shtml):

 DPP authority is sacrificing the people's interests for their political ends.   the Taiwan authorities detected Caesium-137 in the batch of konjaku jelly powder since the island in February relaxed a decade-long ban on imports of "nuclear food"  from Japan.   The Taiwan authorities also said that they were negotiating with related merchants to return the batch of food or destroy it.    This indicates two problems. First, the place of origin of some imported Japanese food may be faked to avoid being detected, which the authorities should keep alert about. Second, the authorities' frequency of detecting Japanese food is not high enough.

　

●   New York Times, 2022-8-18: Taiwanese cuisine — layered, distinct, multiethnic ...has been shaped by many cultural forces, including the island's Indigenous tribes,  long-established groups of Fujianese and Hakka people; Japanese ;  Chinese immigrants in 1949+...   nytimes.com/2022/08/16/dining/taiwanese-cuisine.html

　

●  Global Times,  2022-2-13 (globaltimes.cn/page/202202/1252141.shtml): DPP sacrifices Taiwan people’s interests by lifting ban on Japan‘nuclear food’ for political gain/  The Japan Times said that island's leader, Tsai Ing-wen, prioritized Japan-related food issues in trying to win Japan's support for Taiwan's entry into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).  Ironically, local media cited expert analyses as saying that much of the leaked radioactive material is still radioactive. 
●


72% oppose lifting the ban

67.7% believe DPP's radiation inspection standards are not effective
in regulating the "nuclear food"    

Source: Taiwan Yahoo news poll conducted between February 8 and February 11
　

●
 the DPP actively paved the way for imports of the controversial pork to appease the US. ...Head of Taiwan's health authority:... as importing the pork could enhance Taiwan's "international status"...

　

●  Global Times,  2022-2-18 (globaltimes.cn/page/202202/1252600.shtml) : Taiwan residents oppose as DPP lifts bans on eggs from avian flu-hit Japan.  A expert at Minnan Normal University: relaxing Japan egg imports at the cost of people's safety is a strategic move of the DPP to reinforce ties with Japan, who would love to use Taiwan as a pawn to contain the mainland.  Mainland's agricultural can help Taiwan to solve its problems, just small potatoes. But DPP has ruled out working with the Chinese mainland,...Taiwan is also facing a shortage of duck meat, rising oil prices and rising raw material prices.

　

　

● SeaFoodSource, 2022-5-12: Calls grow for more transparency in Taiwan's seafood sector  /  Greenpeace is continuing to criticize Taiwan's fishing industry -   the migrant fishers were beaten and forced to work up to 20 hours a day.   a migrant fisher was struck on the head, collapsed, and later died.  some of the crew’s clothes were thrown into the ocean despite cold temperatures, and some Muslim workers were forced to eat pork to survive despite it being forbidden by their religion...  to ensure its policies are in compliance with ILO's Work in Fishing Convention (C-188), which unfortunately has not been enforced by Taiwan. seafoodsource.com/news/environment-sustainability/calls-grow-for-more-transparency-in-taiwan-s-seafood-sector-as-da-wang-crew-prosecuted

　

●  Asahi,  2022-2-8: Taiwan to relax Japan nuclear disaster-related food import ban.  Taiwan has banned imports of food products from five prefectures in Japan following a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant that was triggered by a huge earthquake and tsunami.    asahi.com/ajw/articles/14543355

　

●  China Times, editorial, 2021-4-25 "Ractopamine pig mystery" / Taiwan has imported pork and pig offal in total 1800 ton from the US since Jan. 2021,  however, in all the markets, there's no any pork and pig offal marked  e "imported from USA".  Another mysterious thing is Agriculture government (Council of Agriculture) says 70% of them were already used for meat processing, but Health government (Ministry Health & welfare) says 70% of them were still in the refrigerating chamber.  chinatimes.com/opinion/20210424003140-262101?chdtv

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●  United Daily (Economy Daily News, Taiwan) , editorial, 1-17-2021: Taiwan imported US beef (aged 30+ months), US pig offal and pork with controversial Ractopamine since Jan. 2021, it's not safe enough for customers because (1) A new branding initiative (Taiwan pork logo) that helps customers distinguish whether shops and restaurants are using predominantly local or imported pork was officially launched, however, it's very easy for businessmen to have that logo (2) Marking "US pork" in restaurants and shops is not arbitrary for political factor.

　

　

　

　

　

 L.A. Times, 11-22-2020: thousands march in Taiwan streets against US pork imports,  a giant inflatable pig (slogan: Betraying pig farmers) flown above the crowd.
www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-11-22/thousands-march-in-taiwan-streets-against-us-pork-imports		 Guardian UK, 11-27-2020: Parliamentarians in Taiwan have thrown pig guts at each other before coming to blows over plans to allow US meat imports.  www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/27/taiwan-politicians-throw-pig-guts-meat-row
UDN 11-23-20: gov. refuses "import from US" mark and allows US pork on campus ( to smooth trade relations with the Trump adm.)
 ★ Brookings,  2021-7-12:  if Taiwan voters reverse Tsai’s pledge to open Taiwan’s market to the same pork products that American citizens eat... would seal shut the door to anything more than incremental progress on U.S.-Taiwan trade relations...other major economies would follow suit.   brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2021/07/12/taiwan-voters-should-look-before-they-leap-on-pork-referendum/   

　
●  Scientific Reports Journal, Food Navigator Asia, 2-9-2021: Fish fraud findings: Almost 20% of fish in Taiwan found to be mislabelled - study. https://www.foodnavigator-asia.com/Article/2021/02/09/Fish-fraud-findings-Almost-20-of-fish-in-Taiwan-found-to-be-mislabelled-study  Nature,  12-15-2020: The rates and consequences of seafood substitution frauds in Taiwan were elusive.  Snapper, cod and surimi products are particularly vulnerable to fraudulent substitutions. The high abundance of Pseudomonas in tilapia sashimi mislabeled as snapper unveils a potential health issue pertaining to the consumption of raw mislabeled seafood.  Seafood substitution is a fraud in which the fish is sold by the name of a different, often more expensive fish.  modern seafood products often appear in the form of fish pieces, filets or even ready-to-eat meals instead of whole fishes. The food processing technologies can also change the original color and luster of the meat. The lack of identifiable features poses challenges in verifying label information by the look, touch and feel of the products https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-79070-y

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●  Financial Times (UK), 8-28-2020: Taiwan eventually eases restrictions on US pork and beef imports.  Must bear in mind you may eat beef and pork with controversial Ractopamine (banned by 150+ countries) from 2021 on,  the cost of local meat is much more expensive.

★  Reuters , 11-23-2020: "Taiwanese pigs don't eat ractopamine and yet you are asking Taiwanese people to?"    https://news.yahoo.com/thousands-join-annual-taiwan-protest-072836916.html

★  Associated Press, 11-23-2020: The drug is banned by the European Union, but is legal in the United States... “I feel these days many who do business are not ethical. If they mix the U.S. pork with Taiwan pork and then sell it to us average consumers, we as individuals have no way to know the source of the pork.”  https://apnews.com/article/global-trade-tsai-ing-wen-trade-agreements-taiwan-food-safety-cf76e2db33063462632bfd383e0b7dbf 

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● Associated Press, 11-23-2020 says Taiwanese business may not be ethical ... mix the U.S. pork ( Ractopamine pork ) with Taiwan pork ● Apple Daily, editorial, 1-5-2021:  chaos!  Taiwanese are not confident in gov. pork control strategy ―  "Taiwan pork only" seal,  e.g., famous Taiwan cuisine restaurant " Formosa Chang (鬍鬚張)" is questioned to mark the official seal but partly use foreign pork.

● CTV, 1-12-2021: 18 star-rated tourist hotel restaurants were found to be irregular/illegal in expired ingredients or other food-safety issues, including many 5 star hotels e.g., Ambassador Hotel, Regent Taipei's晶泉丰旅,日月行館
　

● 《 United Daily 》, 11-14-2020 , editorial: Taiwan's Executive Yuan (prime ministry) is disable on issues e.g., food safety, social security,  ......  udn.com/news/story/7338/5014020?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2

●  83% of Taiwan's Michelin 2~3 star restaurants, and 33% of Taiwan's Michelin star restaurants, failed to pass sanitary/health inspection (kitchen things/equipment not clean, food materials on the floor, without staffs' health examination proof ) , but they passed second inspection, such as 3 star restaurant Le Palais, 2 star restaurants RAW、態芮-Tairroir、祥雲龍吟( RyuGin Taipei )、 鮨天本(Sushi Amamoto).   ref. to Liberty Times, 3-30-2020, Apple Daily 3-31-2020.    Chang Gung Mem. Hospital Toxicology expert professor   Yen Tzung-Hai M.D. (顏宗海, Doctor, Univ. of London ): Minimize the times of dining out to protect your health ! ( ref. to book <食品不安全的年代如何自保>("how to survive in this bad food-security time", April '16)) 

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●  Even Taiwan's Michelin 3 star winner Le Palais was found snacks containing Hydrogen peroxide (過氧化氫) and Benzoic acid (苯甲酸),  besides, many tourism hotels / 5 star hotels were found food hygiene not up to standard, e.g.,  5 star hotels used expired no-good ingredients, such as HsinChu and Taipei's Ambassador Hotel,  The Grand Hotel, Regent Formosa, and so on, reported by CTV evening news, BCC , LTN (12-19-2019) https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/3014179 .  ●  United Daily 1-20-2020:  Taipei mayor Ko: Our night markets and markets are too dirty !  ● Liberty Times , 1-6-2019 :  Taipei City Hall's "Model Night Markets" project, aims at " Japanese tourists are willing to sit down to eat "，however, quite many stalls opposed, in that elevating the hygienic level and class increases their running costs... 

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●   The United Daily  (聯合報), 5-29-2019 "舌尖上的化學" special report
       ◆ currently, Taiwan's "clean label" is about 6~10%  ◆  each person in each year ate addictives more than 3 kg  ◆  the key to influence customers' choice 1). 64.2%: natural ?   2). 55.5%: any artificial addictives?   3). 38.2%  low/free sugar, salt, grease(oil)   4). 28.3%  no any addictives   5). 16.7%  orgnic? ...

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●   The China Times (中國時報), 2-28-2019,  opinion (editorial) questions Taiwan officials are trying very hard to hide the epidemic state of Marek's virus in chicken eggs ...

●   The Apple Daily (蘋果日報), 2-22-2019:  Food safety is still Taiwanese most concern issue since Melamine event of 2008,  Fipronil residue in eggs and pesticide residue in vegetables recently drew attentions again. (brief) / by legislator & National Taiwan Univ. professor 吳焜裕

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●  Jiang So-San M.D. (江守山, 12-2018, <早安健康 - 名醫餐桌> ) : 「Food safety issue matters !」"generally speaking, what we eat nowadays are "very dirty".   Minimize the times of eating/dining out to control poison exposure to be within a margin of safety (控制毒物暴露量在一定程度之內)，Taiwan ranks world No.1 in usage of pesticides per unit of land area (單位土地面積使用農藥)，according to a study by National Yang-Ming University, 98% of urine samples randomly chosen from kids in Taipei, Taiwan, contain pesticide,  the Plasticizer of dust in our houses as well as pregnant women's urine both rank world No.1.   Besides, there're really too much addictives inside our food 。  More than most of Taiwan's restaurants currently use artificial chemical soy sauce(化學水解醬油)，which inevitably produces chemical 3-MCPD (單氯丙二醇) and may results in tongue cancer, kidney cancer, lliver cancer,  we all ate them too much already !   Taiwanese over-value economic price, therefore we got too many terrible stuffs in home or in our body.

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 ●   The United Daily  (聯合報), 12-4-2018  opinion (editorial) :  food safety issues never end (未曾間斷的食安事件) ...

　

●   The China Times (中國時報), 10-20-2018  opinion (editorial)   https://opinion.chinatimes.com/20181019003889-262101

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Taiwan's food safety failed again and again,  Dioxin, Fipronil poison-eggs in last year, Nicarbazin illegal drug residue event in this year.   Average citizens are so poor as to eat eggs as their nutrition source, however, which is so risky!  Taiwan should feel shame at all these？

Europe was very cautious about Fipronil event, in contrast, Taiwan did nothing about it.   Even worse, Taiwan officials hide Nicarbazin issue from Taiwanese people to baby related business.

Looking back each food scare in all these years, the government's "action through inaction"  (「無為而治」) avoids taking firm action on food scandal.  In July 2018, the officials not only publicize no information to consumers, but also indulge business to retrieve problematic eggs and then resell them as promotion goods.

Taiwan's food safety slogan look great, but has null effect.

Why do high-ranking officials always fudge Taiwanese people's only, and humblest request ？?   (brief)

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Taiwan hide food scandals

　

pic.: Taiwanese officials hide Nicarbazin illegal drug residue from consumers, indulged business to retrieve problematic eggs, and then resell them as promotion goods

    

●   The China Times, 5-21-2018 : Taiwan food safety became nothing but a slogan for the government's relaxation of pesticide residue standards in these 2 years, obviously, Taiwan adm. thinks Taiwanese people can "resist" pesticide better than Americans, Europeans and Japanese can do.   The United Daily, 5-21-2018: Taiwan government relaxed standards of pesticides to 200+ different kinds of agricultural goods, farm products  in 2017, extra 29 items were added in 2018.   TVBS 9-12-2017 : Scholar (中興univ.曾德賜) expressed the amount ( per hectare ) of application of pesticide in Taiwan was ranked world No.1 according to India's study, the US report showed about 30% of that are fake pesticides (偽農藥).  (news.tvbs.com.tw/fun/769011)     The United daily 12-26-2012,   ETtoday news 1-23-2013: The amount ( per hectare ) of application of pesticide in Taiwan was 5 times the average amount of that used in the entire world.  About 30% used in Taiwan are "fake pesticide" (偽農藥).    Some reports on the net (e.g., Life.tw 2-4-2017) : "fake pesticide" (特調農藥) is mixture of different kinds of pesticides so that each of them won't exceed the legal standard. (brief).

    

●  Chang Gung Mem. Hospital professor Yen Tzung-Hai M.D. (顏宗海, Doctor, Univ. of London ): Minimize the times of dining out to protect your health ! ( ref. to book <食品不安全的年代如何自保>("how to survive in this bad food-security time", April 2016)) 

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● MicroPlastics were found in 44% tap water samples, medical circle believes it's a very serious environmental pollution, since something bad, e.g., Dioxin, Bisphenol A (BPA), PAHs, heavy metal elements, may be brought into food chain, and then are/were accumulated in human body...... we better use purified water by RO machine for safety.  Furthermore, mussels, oysters, clams (扇貝與蛤) were also found some microplastics......  brief -  headlines of Apple Daily, United Daily, 9-26-2018.     ◆ Apple Daily, 9-6-2018: serious pollutions in many locations around Taiwan, Phenol may harm human health ...

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●   Apple Daily, 6-6-2018 : Taiwan's system ("雙證管制 double check by 2 certificates") to control Japanese high-radiation-area foods is failed, according to Apple Daily's random check-up.  ps - Apple Daily 11-20-2015 : food imported from Japan high-radiation area were hidden or covered / NTU professor  林鈺雄.

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●  Apple Daily, 4-25-2018 : Taiwan's food safety systems failed for gov. lab's intentionally throwing away test samples immediately after the tests.

      （方儉）https://tw.appledaily.com/headline/daily/20180425/37995680

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●   台視新聞 (TTV)  10-25-2018  12:23pm : Imported crabs (大閘蟹) found to contain excessive level  (6 times) of Dioxins perhaps were purchased (or used) by star-rated hotels of Taiwan already.  ○

United Daily News , 10-25-2018: Abbott received more than 600 complaints about six items of its Ensure having "結塊" issues in upper half year, but reported nothing to governmental system ("非預期反應通報系統").   It's a loophole of food safety. (brief)

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●  Apple Daily, 11-20-2017 : Almost all world countries are more and more strict with food safety, only Taiwan is more and more relaxed in legislating for food safety.   In this way, how can Taiwan have a reputation on "fine food kingdom" ?  (breif)  /  by 邱致穎, chair, and teacher of food science, TungHai University.   ● UDN ( medical edition, 3-31-2018) : "food safety problems happened again and again, I prefer to eat at home" (食安連環爆 我在家吃便當)

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●   The  limit-amount  (ppm, part per million) of pesticide  residue are restricted to in Taiwan is 1000 times that in Europe,  The "category 4" "toxic" chemical materials ("毒性"化學物質) containing plasticisers is renamed as "Concerned" chemical material("關注化學物質" )  / The China Times, Opinion <短評 "Taiwan is more toxic than before>, 4-21-2017

 (rename-policy paused/ LTN 4-22-2017)

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●  Taiwan administration's Dioxin ("poison of the century") control system crashed completely / FTV news 4-22-2017 ;  FTV news, 5-18-2017: 13 ingredients / materials expired in a 5 star hotel in Taiwan;  CTI TV news (5-17-2017, 19:33): What can we eat in Taiwan? people are uneasy for food here...   

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●  Pollution in recent 12 yrs never end, Dioxin inside many people already over the limit probably, TW government has never done source-control, never stop contaminants (pollutant, e.g., plastic, inks from industry, fly-ash from incinerator, etc) going to our environment / Apple Daily, head-page, 4-22-2017 

●

●  Apple Daily News (蘋果日報) 8-28-2015,  A2 Prime News Edition

          The incidence rate of Taiwanese people suffering colon/rectal cancer was ranked world No.1 (2nd is Korea, 3rd Slovakia) , Taipei Medical University Hospital's director of surgeons expressed Taiwan's food scandals constantly happened in recent years, many black-heart tainted foods containing Carcinogen (cancer producer) is a factor causing high incidence rate.

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● TTV (台視 2-11-2017  12:24pm) news reports: People dining out should be careful  not to eat food containing Borax, Sodium borate(硼砂),  fluorescent brightener(螢光增白劑), plasticisers (朔化劑), Rongalite (Sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate dihydrate 吊白塊  )...    deep-fried foods, plastic container, and pesticide residue may cause cancer.    

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●  Apple Daily 11-20-2015: Taiwan food scandals is still flourishing and still in the ascendant, even the law was amended to increase punishment, major events include poisonous (Methyl yellow, chemical 二甲基黃 illegally added) dried bean curd, chemical-soak kelp, sea tangle, pepper powders with industrial-used Magnesium carbonate (工業級碳酸鎂), and Unagi Kabayaki eels with Malachite green, tea drink with DDT  residue,  food scraps and kitchen waste entered food market  supply chain, besides, food imported from Japan high-radiation area were hidden or covered / NTU professor  林鈺雄.   Furthermore, The Liberty Times (9-4-2016): black-heart sauce entered night market, and street-front shops ― small-eat shops, breakfast shops ... in Northern Taiwan for 1 year already.  

　

★ My website comments Taiwan Restaurants, Taiwan night markets - street food  -  both are No.1 ranking on US Google and other top engines

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●Taiwan food safety system has loopholes - catering business never mark food with allergen - which may cause cardiovascular disease, shock, Urticaria, cough, skin redness & swelling, etc.   Those food may have allergen include shrimp, crab, fish, octopus, squid, egg, milk, nuts, wheat, beans, kiwit, mango, etc.    Taiwanese prevalence ratio is about 10.16% population (Liberty Times, 7-25-2016)

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●Taiwanese government never does some soul searching and corrects the wrong, according to Business Weekly (No. 1436, June 2015), "It's weirdo !!, Taiwanese government's food-safety check only focuses on 3 dried products - dried daylily, dried radish, and preserved fruits (snacks)", National Taiwan University professor Wu K.Y. comments it as "Completely evading the crucial point", "those 3 items are very low risky products", and "Taiwan's food safety is nothing but a slogan (台灣食安只有口號-apple daily 3-28-2015  http://www.appledaily.com.tw/realtimenews/article/new/20150328/582381/)".

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● Major world media like The New York Times and The Economist (11.29.2014) comment a series of food safety scandals is one of few main factors causing the KMT, Taiwan's ruling party, has suffered one of its worst electoral defeats since Chiang Kai-shek and his forces fled to the island at the end of Chinese civil war in 1949.
The New York Times (9.8.2014): the new scandal  (Taiwan food-safety scare) shows that there is still not enough being done to eliminate lawbreaking production lines.  TIME  ( 9.8.2014): Gutter Oil' Scandal Raises Food-Safety Fears Once Again in Greater China. Bloomberg BusinessWeek  (9.8.2014): Tainted Lard: China's Latest Food-Safety Scare Comes From Taiwan.  BBC news (Nov. 19, 2013): A series of food safety scandals in Taiwan has hurt consumer confidence, and now there are worries they could dent the island's economic growth and damage tourism.  United Daily News (headline news, Dec. 31, 2013): "food scare" ranks number 1 news of 2013 in Taiwan.  The Economist (UK) commented :  Taiwan's former reputation as a reliable and safe food manufacturing country has been damaged...  The China Times (Taiwan, Nov. 30, 2013) states black-heart food, risks and traps are everywhere, and comments Taiwan government is short of will-power, ability, and resolution to combat illegal targets, high ranking officials are afraid of political responsibility and damaging export & business.

●

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● pic. above: Feed-animal oil for humans ?
 Public anger, Taiwan's Judiciary died already / the China Times, 11-28-2015.
 The darkest day in Taiwan food safety history / the Liberty Times, 11-28-2015.
　
　

● pic. above: 90.12% Taiwanese don't agree the trial decision: Tinghsin int'l group<頂新> selling processed feed-animal oil was acquitted of the charge / head-page of Apple Daily, 11-28-2015

 The China Times (12-14-2015):The legislative Yuan trickily made some law to cover big financial groups, food scare already turned into a terrorist in Taiwan...  Former supreme-court grand justice Chen (城仲模) expressed most Taiwanese don't trust the judicial system.
The Liberty Times (11-30-2015): Food safety still is a decisive factor to win presidential election (headline).  Taipei mayor Ko comments food-safety is a decisive factor for KMT to loss election in 2014, most likely in 2016 too. 

　

　

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★

★  The Liberty Times - Weekender  9.18.2015

time news events details
April 2012, Oct. 2013 plumping agent with Aluminum(膨鬆劑加鋁) By using plumping agent with Aluminum, donuts and Chinese steamed bun, etc will plump quicker and have better appearance for selling, but eating excessively may causes brain disease.  (烘焙業在製作饅頭與甜甜圈過程中，添加含鋁膨鬆劑，使之迅速膨脹，且賣相佳，但過量可能導致腦部疾病)
Jan. 2013 fake rice vermicelli(假米粉) Taiwanese business including some in Sin-Chu, the major city producing rice vermicelli, replaced or mixed pure  rice vermicelli by corn starch to decrease the cost and selling price. (業者為壓低成本與售價，以玉米澱粉混充純米米粉，此包括"米粉重鎮"新竹)
May 2013 toxic starch(毒澱粉) Industrial adhesives Maleic Acid was mixed into regular starch by businesses to make chewy starch foods or products. (為製作口感Q彈的澱粉產品，業者在一般澱粉中，混入工業用黏著劑順丁烯二酸酐)
Aug. 2013 Top Pot Bakery used essence(胖達人香精) Top Pot has been flaunting itself a non-addictive bakery, but was reported using a number of addictives - including flavouring essence. (胖達人強調無添加的香氣麵包，卻被踢爆使用多種食品添加物)
Feb. 2014 Industrial bleaching agent to whiten beam sprouts (工業漂白劑漂白豆芽) Using Industrial bleaching agent to whiten beam sprouts for better appearance and better selling. (台南查獲業者使用工業漂白劑、連二亞硫酸鈉漂白豆芽，使賣相更佳)
March 2015 Illegally added Sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate dihydrate (CH3NaO3S) into Yun cake (潤餅違法添吊白塊) Long time using Illegal addictive Sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate dihydrate (CH3NaO3S) into Yun cake (lumpia) for chewy taste. (有業者長期使用被禁用的「吊白塊」使潤餅吃時起來有彈性且不易破)
April 2015 Gypsum of pharmaceutic were added to Black-puddings(藥用石膏混入米血) For better taste and solidification, some Black-puddings using Gypsum of pharmaceutic as addictives. (屏東米血工廠為凝固產品且提升口感，使用跌打損傷藥用石膏為添加物)

●  others like coloring agent were used as make-up or feeds on Salmon, soaking in phosphatic water to enlarger oysters, formaldehyde (HCHO) to extend oysters expiration, borax(硼砂) to whiten (or avoid dark / black color) oysters ...in some evil-hearted businesses, details pls. ref. to the Liberty Times.

★

★  The Liberty Times 自由時報   10.27.2016 /     97% of soybeans that Taiwan imported is G.M. (genetic modified基改) soybeans

★

★  The China Times 6.23.2013

Taiwan imports pigs' food for human kinds in Taiwan

90% of soybeans that Taiwan imported is G.M. (genetic modified) soybeans, which contains the herbicide may be carcinogenic to human beings, and is prohibited by Europe Union and Japan, etc, in those places G.M. soybeans are usually for feeding pigs.

★

★  The Apple Daily  "Food safety crisis is terrorists attack too" 11.19.2015 (b"食安危機也是一種恐怖攻擊"by Chang S.Y. 張勝源)

            The percentage of pesticides residue in a random food-safety check in major supermarkets (Costco, RT-mart, Carrefo, Welcome, 松青, 愛買 ) recently is up to 69%, some containing some hyper-toxic (劇毒) pesticides (also in head-line head-page of the Liberty Times, 11-13-2015).  They also check some stores advertising their stuffs nature and found 5~10 different kinds of pesticides  residue.

 ★

★  The Apple Daily  "Why food crime never stop?" 11.20.2015 ("食品犯罪為何前撲後繼", by NTU law school professor Lin 林鈺雄)

           .... Taiwan's law system (confiscate illegal gains) is so behind, no wonder we always worry our food safety so much that can't sleep well ...

★

★ Food scandal again Illegal import of banned (suspiciously polluted) food products to Taiwan from five prefectures in Japan (included in 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant incident) prohibited by Taiwanese authorities.
        ◎ Taipei Times, 3-26-2015: Taiwan review Fukushima food ban under Japan's pressure.     United Daily, 7-22-2015: Taiwan plans to lift food ban for 4 out of 5 Japanese nuclear-polluted cities next week. 
        ◎ Apple Daily 3-26-2015: already imported 4 yrs, Medical experiments were made on Taiwanese human beings as if they were guinea pigs. (輸台4年"拿人民當實驗")
        ◎ Liberty Times 3-25-2015: Taiwan's member of the Legislative Yuan/ parliament: It's a premeditated murder, a willful murder!!
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★ ● The New York times  9.8.2014: The authorities in Taiwan are scrambling to control a tainted-cooking-oil scandal that has affected hundreds of manufacturers and raised fears about health risks posed in many commonly consumed food items... the new scandal shows that there is still not enough being done to eliminate lawbreaking production lines,” The Taipei Times said ...
         ● TIME   9.8.2014: Gutter Oil' Scandal Raises Food-Safety Fears Once Again in Greater China      A Taiwanese food-safety scare has spread to Hong Kong...
         ● Bloomberg BusinessWeek  9.8.2014: Tainted Lard: China's Latest Food-Safety Scare Comes From Taiwan       The case is the second major food-safety scandal by a Taiwan-based company in the past year,...The new gutter-oil scandal has “shocked local consumers” in Taiwan who expect more from their government, ...“I hope the law could be revised to impose tougher punishment on those who breach food safety regulations,”...
     ● The South China Morning Post  (HK) 9.7.2014 :Taiwan's "gutter oil" scandal continues to grow, (Taiwan) would not rule out the possibility Hong Kong and the mainland were affected. ... Chang Guann, the Kaohsiung-based supplier of lard and cooking oil at the centre of the scandal. Chang Guann bought at least 240 tonnes of the gutter oil - recycled from kitchen waste, by-products from leather processing plants and offal from slaughterhouses - from an unlicensed factory in Pingtung at below-market rates, police have said.
         ●The China Times (9.5.2014, head-page headline news): Disgusting ... Even pigs don't eat those tainted oil we Taiwanese ate !
         ●The United Daily News (9.7.2014) : Scholars criticize: GMP (Assurance of the safety and quality of Taiwanese food ) is a joke now !  PS: "GMP" (Good Manufacturing Practices) : Taiwan's most important certification from SGS ensures the integrity of your food manufacturing process as well as your compliance with food safety regulations.

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 ★ Wikipedia  Nov. 13, 2013  "2013 Taiwan food scandal"

Chang Chi Foodstuff Factory Co. (Chinese: 大統長基) was found to have used copper chlorophyllin, an illegal coloring agent for cooking oil, in its olive oil and have adulterated its higher-end cooking oil with cheaper cottonseed oil.   Flavor Full Food Inc. (Chinese: 富味乡食品) was accused of blending cheaper cottonseed oil into more expensive cooking oils to increase their profit.  Formosa Oilseed Processing Co. (Chinese: 福懋油) was found to intentionally mislabel their six cooking oil mixtures as pure olive oils.

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★Till 2013, not only banned colouring agent, copper chlorophyllin cooking oil, toxic ('poisonous') starch, dangerous levels of industrial plasticisers, poor-quality rice, deceptive advertising bakery ... were exposed in Taiwan media, but also dangerous materials/ingredients like hydrogen peroxide, Rongalite (Sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate dihydrate 吊白塊  ) , Formaldehyde Solution(福馬林),  borax(硼砂) ,  salicylic acid (水楊酸), NaNO2   nitrite (亞硝酸鹽),  fluorescent whitening/bleaching agent (螢光增白劑), copper salts (铜鹽), Sudan (蘇丹红), Butter Yellow(奶油黃),  Rhodamine B (鹽基桃紅精), Auramine (黃色色素鹽基性芥黃), H202 (過氧化氫), 4-ethoxyphenylurea(乙氧基苯脲), Lead oxide (氧化铅), potassium bromate；bromic acid potassium salt (溴酸钾) etc food additives were found in Taiwan's black-heart food & cuisine industries. (<Business Today>.no.856, 2013)

You can see how serious the mess is ... below are some head-lines & cover-story of Taiwan's popular media/magazines (2013):
  (1) <Business Weekly>, no. 1334 ― "Eating in Taiwan, needs latest common sense" ! ("吃飯  需要新常識" !)
  (2) <Business Today>, no. 856   ― "Fatal & horrible materials/ingredients in Taiwan's food, the secret that restaurants' boss won't speak out" !("要命的恐怖食材, 餐廳老闆不敢說的秘密" ! "黑心醬油毒害全台  夜市、小吃、餐館幾近淪陷"!)
  (3) <Common Health Magazine>, no.36  ― "How to survive in 'Poisonous (toxic) starch' storm in Taiwan" ! ("毒澱粉風暴下的生存術" )
  (4) <Business Weekly>, no. 1331 "Focus News" ―  "Watch Out ! You are eating 'Poisonous (toxic) starch' all 24 hours", "Black-Heart food/products everywhere on the streets in Taiwan". ( "小心  你 24小時都在吃毒澱粉", "...滿街黑心食品".)
  (5) <Apple Daily News>, editorial (6.1.2013) : "We grew up by eating poisonous food" (辣蘋果: "我們吃毒長大!" ): Taiwan food safety storm ―  poisonous food with industrial materials/ingredients,  expired preservatives... Taiwan's food problem became a national security issue... government needs more active on this ...

Taiwanese government should be responsible for the mess !

◎★


★  National Health Research Institutes & <The United Daily>  (8-15-2015)  "Horrible foods for dining out people - 11 problems"

National Health Research Institutes (NHRI 國家衛生研究院群體健康研究所): Taiwan's horrible-foods problems for dining-out people in restaurants, cafeteria, institutions' and companies' private restaurants include too refined main foods, too big main course, not enough vegetables in package, too many (almost all are) oil-cooking foods,  lots of side dishes are deep fried and/or preserved, processed foods, pickles,  using reused oil or gutter oil or waste oil for deep frying or pan frying foods  ...  besides, restaurants and small shops use MSG, baking soda, and too much salts and sugars to cook, the soup is not rich at all ...  (brief)

　◎

★ Apple Daily News (蘋果日報) 8-28-2015,  A2 Prime News Edition

          The incidence rate of Taiwanese people suffering colon/rectal cancer was ranked world No.1 (2nd is Korea, 3rd Slovakia) , Taipei Medical University Hospital's director of surgeons expressed Taiwan's food scandals constantly happened in recent years, many black-heart tainted foods containing Carcinogen (cancer producer) is a factor causing high incidence rate.

◎
 ★  Apple Daily News (蘋果日報) 8-29-2015,   Prime News Edition

Dark brown sugars commercially available all contain Carcinogen ("丙烯醯胺", acrylamide , inspected results - max up to 2740 ppb ).  Drinking one cup (700 c.c.) of Pearl Milk Tea per day, may have risk of getting cancer.  Medical Doctors said having certain amount of  acrylamide day after day, may increases risk of getting esophagus cancer, breast cancer.

◎
 ★According to UK's Economist Intelligence Unit - Liveability Country Level Index (Jan. 2015), Taipei's "Food Security Index" ("1" means "Most Secure") is "42", same as all other communist China's major cities, e.g., GuangZhou, TianJin, Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai, all are score "42".  Singapore's index from "5" in 2014 rises to "2" in 2015 (E.I.U., 5-28-2015) and tops Asian countries.  Most-secure-food cities include New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington D.C., all are Index "1",  Paris Index is "3" ,  Zurich and Amsterdam index "5", Brussels "7".

◎
 ★  Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taiwan Veterans General Hospital, etc.  Jiang So-San M.D. book "食在安心" : Most 5 star hotel restaurants in Taiwan don't wash the vegetables ...  see picture & text below.    Another book "Fruits , Vegetables" (Chinese namely, "遠離毒蔬果") written by IMEI (義美) group's leader Luis Ko (高志明), page 162 quoted Dr. Gaston J.C. Wu (professor & dean, Taiwan Normal University) that Taiwan's vegetables and fruits should be flush thoroughly with plenty of flowing water before cooking or/and eating.  No just soaking vegetables and fruits in water in a large basin ...

◎
 ★  National Taiwan Normal University - graduate school of Chemistry, dean Dr. Gaston J. C. Wu (化學所長吳家誠教授)'s book <Those black-heart products toxin-experts never buy (毒物專家絕不買的黑心商品)> (Nov. 2013): Most of the time I eat at home, and has never dined out in street-side shops / small-eat markets (路邊攤), because those small-eat shops usually/always do not meet the minimum standards of cleanliness.  In case I can't reject some dinner party or must dine out,  I select only some restaurants I fully trust.  Besides, I've never touched processed food or cured products, and any drinks commercially available(市售飲料) in Taiwan, particularly, pearl milk tea which already is a world known Taiwanese food.  PS: The China Times (8-15-2015): Taiwanese favorite drinks contain high Kcal/g heat, you will gain 5.1kg if having pearl milk tea one regular cup (not less-sugar option) per day for 2 months.   Green Tea with Yakult(多多)'s Heat 341 Kcal/g, which is 3.2 times the upper limit of free sugar(游離糖) advised by WHO., Yakult drink, Orange juice, milk tea are high-heat too.

★

◎
　



　

Pic. above: 90% of what we eat and use contain poison or toxin - The secret that Taiwanese business won't tell you, the cover-page of book  <Those black-heart products poison-experts never buy (毒物專家絕不買的黑心商品)>, written by professor Wu (吳家誠), consultant of Taiwanese government and dean of National Taiwan Normal University.

 

◎ pic. left: Most 5 star hotel restaurants in Taiwan don't wash the vegetables, they just soak in water and cut them for cooking ... It's 5 star restaurants' "S.O.P.", not to mention average Taiwanese restaurants... , besides, the food-safety specialty of restaurants deserves my concerns.  A 5-star hotel restaurant made Japanese sashimi by fresh-water fishes, this may causes serious infection and even cancer, according to Japanese studies in 2013...hence, people should minimize the number of times for dining out in Taiwan to assure safety ... / Jiang M.D.'s book "食在安心"(by 江守山, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taiwan Veterans General Hospital, etc.), printed in Oct, 2014. 
Another book "Fruits , Vegetables" (Chinese namely, "遠離毒蔬果") written by IMEI (義美) group's leader Luis Ko (高志明), page 162 quoted Dr. Gaston J.C. Wu (professor & dean, Taiwan Normal University) that Taiwan's vegetables and fruits should be flush thoroughly with plenty of flowing water, those tiny gaps and hollows also need to be brushed before cooking or/and eating.  No just soaking vegetables and fruits in water in a large basin ...

　

　

◎

★ BBC news    Nov. 19, 2013 

Taiwan food scares hit shoppers' confidence

Consumers in Taiwan have been shocked by a series of food safety scandals.
In one recent case, olive oil was found to contain low quality substitutes and a banned colouring agent.
The scandals have hurt consumer confidence, and now there are worries they could dent the island's economic growth and damage tourism. Cindy Sui reports from Taipei.  (www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24995485)
◎

★South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)  11.17.2013

"Taiwanese makers of popular Master Kong noodles involved in cooking oil scandal"

In Taiwan's latest food controversy, companies have produced cooking oil with illegal additives.
A multitude of Taiwanese companies have become embroiled in a tainted oil food scare, including the owners of popular instant noodle and beverage brand Master Kong. (and other famous companies like Weichuan.com.tw  Chinese namely 味全)

◎
 ★ Apple Daily  Aug. 31, 2013  (abstract version 米果)

 Toxic ('poisonous') starch, dangerous levels of industrial plasticisers have been found in a range of foods and drinks, deceptive advertising bakery( adding artificial essences into its breads) and poor-quality rice... all kinds of food safety issues in Taiwan (R.O.C.) make all of us shock! ...

Taiwanese consumers shortage of backbones already spoiled food industries, Taiwanese government without courage compromised and pleased mega corporations/financial groups by trading/negotiating national health, illegal companies and material suppliers don't fear about not too much penalty/consequences, Taiwan has been accepting imported G.M. (genetic modified) beans which other countries don't accept, just because Taiwanese people won't die immediately after eating bad soy sauce, soy beans, tofu, etc made by G.M. stuffs, so, Taiwan government feel it does not matter ... !

We should not neglect and forgive all these mistakes ... 
(Chinese version : 從塑化劑、毒澱粉、胖達人、山水米……一路以來各種荒腔走板甚至讓人瞠目結舌的食品安全問題，消費者不僅被業者廠商看扁，還被應該嚴格把關的政府單位看輕，... 沒有骨氣的消費者，間接寵壞了食品業者，而沒有膽識的政府監督單位，最終也只是將國民健康變成貿易談判與討好財團的妥協籌碼，因此對違法的食品廠商或原料供貨商的罰則不痛不癢，其他國家動物都不吃的基改豆，我們拿來做成醬油豆腐豆漿，而且多數消費者因為吃了也不會立刻致命，因此就無所謂。...)

◎
 ★ <FTV> (民視)  12.15.2013  17:30~17:45pm

Taiwan Normal university, professor in Chemistry Dr. Wu (吳家誠): Taiwanese government (e.g., Ministry of Health & Welfare, Council of Agriculture) has not dig out some ugly truth of food safety problem because they should be responsible for it ... at present we only hope we can have safe basic food, e.g., vegetables, fruits, rice, etc - not various food products......
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital M.D. (顏): It's wrong that some scholars cover bad food ("won't die to eat those" ...)
Consumers Foundation : More and more chemical addictives... Taiwan's government again and again let it go, moves/trends towards black-heart businesses...
TV host (presenter):  It's conscience problem!! ("把良心拿出來")  

◎
 ★<Business Today> (今周刊)  5.20.2013

 Numerous fatal traps were hidden behind tasty Taiwanese food/cuisine, numerous bizarre tricks mixed with delicious cuisine in Taiwan's restaurants ? ...

 A top chef working in this circle for two decades revealed the dark side (bad cooking materials/ingredients) behind the scenes.  The chef always reminds his staffs in the kitchen : "these cuisines are made for customers, you absolutely should not eat them..."

...Using food addictives is a co-operate/'accomplice' structure among suppliers, restaurant owners, chefs and consumers... (共犯結構成形添加物為食界共業, 從供貨商,餐廳經營者,廚師及消費者串聯起來的共業!)

... The most un-forgettable witness experience is some industries using magic-touch stuff, Malachite ( (C6H5)3CH Triphenylmethane (孔雀石綠 三苯甲埦)  ...  furthermore, some smart Taiwanese 'invented' cheaper & same-function & legal pseudo-Malachite to replace Malachite.  Although, strictly speaking, it still belongs to the category of veterinary drugs(動物用藥), and also is dangerous to human beings ?  How can we chefs have a peaceful mind if we fail to offer customers safe food?

★

Taiwan
food		   Pic. above: The secret that restaurant bosses don't dare to speak out !
Fatal & Horrible cooking materials/ingredients !
A top chef : "These cuisine are made for customers, you guys (assistants in kitchen) don't eat them ! "

　
　 Pic. right:  Taiwan's government is unable to do administration on food industry, all Taiwanese people are in deep risk !
Black hearted soy sauce harms the whole Taiwan! it appears almost all night markets, snack shops, restaurants ... <Business Today> no. 856

　

　
　 　
　

◎

★

★ <CTV> (中視 "新聞一點通"),  Sept. 25, 2013 13:35pm

"Taiwan's snack food almost all are involved in poisonous food risks ! ("台灣小吃 幾乎淪陷")
Even you cook by yourself, still have chance to eat some black-heart ingredients/materials...
◎

★ <Business Weekly> (商業周刊) No.1331, 2013

Black hearted food everywhere  on the streets ! (滿街黑心食品)
The channels don't report the facts, although knowing the danger...

Why evil business men can passed through all layers of checkpoints, Taiwanese government failed to catch them?

(1) The officials/staffs (400 persons in health gov.) are not professional enough, and easy to yield to violence threats.
(2) Staffs of health gov. don't dare to give heavy penalty on evil business companies, so they dare to take chance & make mistakes again and again.
(3) It suppose only take 8 hours to submit samples for testing, but it takes 1 month, why?  ―  famous M.D. Jian (江守山) questioned it gives business men a good response time, as for "business-men submitted their own sample" is even worse !

Taiwan's judicial( justice) Heavy curse, lenient sentence, actually is a "Paper Tiger", it looks strong, but on the inside, it is spiritually empty ("its bark is worse than its bite")
So, black hearted businesses spoiled by Taiwanese justice systems (they did not carry heavy penalties) intended to take a chance to violate the laws again and again, judicial systems failed to punish evil business probably is one of reasons leading to food risks.  for instance,  one business making plasticizer only got 14 month sentence.

◎
★ The China Times  6.4.2013  Viewpoint from NanFang Shuo (南方朔abstract version)

 The image of Taiwan's "gourmet's dining Heaven/Kingdom" has already "bankrupt"!   ( brief version )

People do not scare to eat anything in Japan, but Taiwan is different.  Taiwan's propaganda "dining kingdom" should be replaced by "poisonous food kingdom, because of too many black hearted food in Taiwan.

Taiwan's food industries have already used plasticizers, 'poisonous' starch for 20-30 years, but Taiwanese government has kept its eyes half opened ( ignored, not taking food-safety adm. as a routine work ) about all these.  In recent years the discipline of Taiwan's food industries (even large ones) have been rapidly collapsed (used bad material/ingredients against the morale rule)......

Taiwan focused on propaganda and showing off... People here already don't dare to eat Taiwanese food ... Taiwanese food's bankruptcy is only one aspect of  Taiwan's 'bankruptcy' ! (台灣飲食的破產,只不過是整個台灣破產的一個側面而已!)

(The author is a cultural critic)

◎

★ The China Times 6.23.2013

Taiwan imports pigs' food for human kinds in Taiwan

90% of soybeans that Taiwan imported is G.M. (genetic modified) soybeans, which contains the herbicide may be carcinogenic to human beings, and is prohibited by Europe Union and Japan, etc, in those places G.M. soybeans are usually for feeding pigs.

◎

★ Apple Daily 6.1.2013 (editorial column - <Spicy apple>  辣蘋果 余艾苔 abstract version)

Do not let Taiwan falls from gourmet heaven into epicure hell !

...We finally understand that the key to best taste of popular refreshing food like pudding, grass jelly, ice cream is adding industrial raw materials, and more horrible,  expired preservatives.   Those black hearted plants/companies are well-known ones, ... it is not an isolated(single) event, we can reason that we generation (currently about 40 years old) "grew up by eating poisons" ... Taiwanese government should not slow-react on this issue anymore ...

Every one wants to question our government : Can you give us a list in which food are safe?  we believe no one is able to guarantee for that, the reason is quite simple ―  Taiwan's government is very passive on food safety check-ups  ―  unless some one is dead for poisonous food, otherwise Taiwanese government won't be crack-down for food problems....  Now Taiwan's food safety has turned out to be a national security issue...

(Chinese version: 好吃的關鍵都是因為加了工業原料...有些還用過期的防腐劑,而出問題的都是知名大廠, ... 合理推論, 現今40歲左右的人,可以說是吃毒長大的一代, 政府再不作為,忍心看我們下一代繼續被荼毒嗎?... 政府...很被動,除非今天吃死人了,不然積極查緝簡直就是神話)

◎

★ Economist   6.16.2011  ( http://www.economist.com/node/18837149)

Food scandals in Taiwan,  Plastic unfantastic

Tainted products also poison the president’s chances of re-election

TAIWAN'S biggest-ever food scare began when government inspectors testing sports drinks and soft drinks last month detected dangerous levels of industrial plasticisers. These are normally used to make everything from shoes to hosepipes more flexible. Since then, the plasticisers have been found in a range of foods and drinks. The crisis has also gone firmly international as China, Hong Kong, South Korea and the Philippines have withdrawn Taiwanese products from supermarket shelves. Taiwanese commentators are wondering how the government can live the scandal down.

Some 900 products have been pulled from nearly 40,000 Taiwanese shops. Hospitals have been flooded with worried parents seeking check-ups for......

... (Taiwanese) government's slow and muddled response to the crisis...

◎

★ Taipei Times   June 10, 2013 EDITORIAL: Food scares hurt Taiwan's image

When plasticizer — a chemical additive to make food more pliable — was found in 2011 in food and beverages, public awareness of food safety was raised  and the government promised to enhance food safety standards ...Yet, both the public and the government seem to be forgetful.
 the toxic starch scandal (It is the second major food scare in two years.) has damaged the nation’s culinary reputation and damaged businesses at night markets. The industrial starch was found in mostly traditional Taiwanese food and drink, ...These street foods are popular with locals and foreign tourists alike....The government must take heed and implement stricter regulations governing food safety...

◎

★ TVBS   Sept. 27, 2013 8:00pm ('地球黃金線' program研討會, guests including M.D.江守山, etc)
("國內把關不嚴 輻射魚恐已上桌", "人在輻中不知輻")
 We are afraid that radiant (radiated, radiative, radiation-producing) fishes from Japan sea area already on Taiwanese dinner tables, but Taiwanese people have not quite known about this yet.
Taiwan's food tests by food inspectors took sample-selected rapid test (抽樣, 快篩 antigen detection test), which is not as strictly for national health as that in Korea or Hong Kong, etc. !?
ps: http://news.cnyes.com/Content/20130925/KHABWU1MMN6OA.shtml?c=headline_sitehead (9.25.2013 TW denied Japan's radiated fishes already "invaded" Taiwan)
 ◎

★ The China Times 3.29.2013

Taiwan's "national scandal" ― G.M.(genetic modified) food   (abstract version)

National Taiwan University (Department of Agronomy) Professor Guo hua-ren (郭華仁) criticized G.M.(genetic modified) food in Taiwan is a "national scandal"(「國家級醜聞」), and urged everyone not eating GM food, since Taiwanese may not know the risks ―  according to latest study  by French scholar (Seralini), G.M. (genetic modified) food leads to higher probability of getting cancer. (mouse experiment)
In Taiwan, 99.95% soy products are imported, 90% of soybeans are GM stuffs.

A WikiLeaks in 2010 revealed that a super-power country intends to build a G.M. zone in Taiwan because Taiwanese people are so "friendly"  for biotechnology (GM) food ...  
ps: Taiwan's government is so "shortage of backbone" !

◎

★ United Daily News/Liberty Times/China Times etc,  6.5.2014

Top 10 horrible combination-food in Taiwan for office ladies/men (十大恐怖外食)

 horrible index

hamburger + French fries (middle sized) + coke (600 cc)
　

 too much greasy, sugar, salty

Spareribs (pork-rib) lunch box排骨便當 + pearl milk tea (500cc)
  
Fried-Dumpling鍋貼 + bean sauce (350cc)                 
Baked Italia noodle + Puff pastry on creamy soup
Korea fried chicken + beer       
Fried rice + pork-ball soup貢丸
Ramen (Japanese noodle)拉麵 + soft ice-cream               
Braised Pork Rice滷肉飯   + fish-ball soup
  beef noodle + pickle vegetable酸菜
deep-fried meat-ball炸肉圓 + olen (Japanese style Kantoni)關東煮
　

　

◎
★ <Business Today> (<今周刊>健康生活專刊04), Sept. 2013

　

Taiwan's Night Market - risks everywhere

 evil-heart addictives harm whole Taiwan - night markets, restaurants, snack shops, almost all involved

Taiwanese government poor & weak adm. ...

(<今周刊>健康生活專刊04, Sept., 2013)

　

night market food

 addictives

why dangerous ?

 Small Sausage in Large Sausage (大腸包小腸)

nitrite, NIT,NaNO2 (亞硝酸鹽)

Used to add red color for sausage,
Eating too many may cause cancer

Pearl milk tea, Tapioca (ball) tea)(珍珠奶茶、 青蛙下蛋、粉圓

Preservative (防腐劑)

 Eating too many increases burden of liver and kidney, and may cause cancer

Deep fried chicken breast
 or grilled roast ones(炸雞排,烤雞排)

Tenderizer(嫩精)

 Used for soften the texture, Eating too many may lead to cardiopalmus, lips numb/tingle, temporary ageusia/loss of taste sense (心悸、唇麻、短暫失味覺)

fresh cut fruits、sugar coated Chinese hawthorn fruit (糖葫蘆)

Saccharin(糖精, 甘精)

Eating too many hurts liver and alimentary canal or may cause urinary bladder  cancer

 Thailand shrimp, grilled shrimp, shrimp prawn Omelet (泰國蝦、烤蝦、蝦仁煎)

borax(硼砂)

 May get roseola、feel like throwing up、diarrhea 、shock to stupor; coma; muzziness.  Taiwan law already prohibited the use of food/ food products
ps: expert M.D. expressed :
(1)Taiwan's law is behind of medical studies, we already ate lots of legal but suspicious dangerous food addictives.
(2) medical tests only for single chemical compound, not for 2+ chemical compounds (which may be interactive to increase probability of getting cancer)  .

◎

★  <The China Times>  (8-15-2015)

products ml

Heat (Kcal/g)熱量

Each bottle equals how many
(the number of) cubic sugars

Green Tea (多多) 700 341 14
Pearl Milk Tea (normal full sugar) 700 653 12
Yakult drink (lactic acid) 330 243 11
Orange Juice 400 192 10
Milk Tea 400 212 9

You will gain 5.1kg if having pearl milk tea one cup per day for 2 months.  Green Tea with Yakult (多多)'s Heat 341 Kcal/g, which is 3.2 times the upper limit of free sugar(游離糖) advised by WHO.

◎

★ US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health

Food safety involving ingestion of foods and beverages prepared with phthalate-plasticizer-containing clouding agents.

Yen TH, Lin-Tan DT, Lin JL.

Abstract   (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22118310)

In May 2011, the illegal use of the phthalate plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in clouding agents for use in foods and beverages was reported in Taiwan. This food scandal has caused shock and panic among the majority of Taiwanese people and has attracted international attention. Phthalate exposure is assessed by ambient monitoring or human biomonitoring. Ambient monitoring relies on measuring chemicals in environmental media, foodstuff and consumer products. Human biomonitoring determines body burden by measuring the chemicals, their metabolites or specific reaction products in human specimens. In mammalian development, the fetus is set to develop into a female. Because the female phenotype is the default, impairment of testosterone production or action before the late phase may lead to feminizing characteristics. Phthalates disrupt the development of androgen-dependent structures by inhibiting fetal testicular testosterone biosynthesis. The spectrum of effects obtained following perinatal exposure of male rats to phthalates has remarkable similarities with the human testicular dysgenesis syndrome.

Epidemiological studies have suggested associations between phthalate exposure and shorter gestational age, shorter anogenital distance, shorter penis, incomplete testicular descent, sex hormone alteration, precocious puberty, pubertal gynecomastia, premature thelarche, rhinitis, eczema, asthma, low birth weight, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, low intelligence quotient, thyroid hormone alteration, and hypospadias in infants and children.

Furthermore, many studies have suggested associations between phthalate exposure and increased sperm DNA damage, decreased proportion of sperm with normal morphology, decreased sperm concentration, decreased sperm morphology, sex hormone alteration, decreased pulmonary function, endometriosis, uterine leiomyomas, breast cancer, obesity, hyperprolactinemia, and thyroid hormone alteration in adults. ... (ps: papers by professor Ja-Liang Lin are now open to everyone to read through internet, Sept 25, 2013)

 ◎

★ WikiPedia

2011 Taiwan food scandal (abstract version)

The 2011 Taiwan food scandal was a food safety scandal in Taiwan over the use one of plasticizer - DEHP to replace palm oil in food and drinks as a clouding agent.  The chemical agent has been linked to developmental problems with children as it affects hormones.

The food affected includes beverages, fruit juices, bread, sports drinks, tea, and jam...... Some media reports, including in The Economist, conclude that Taiwan's former reputation as a reliable and safe food manufacturing country has been damaged...

◎

★ Best-news.US 5.28.2013
        http://www.best-news.us/news-4553168-Photo:-Taiwan-and-trap-poisonous-food-panic.html

Taiwan and trap "poisonous food" panic

Pearl milk tea, taro balls, crates, meatballs, chicken ...... these Taiwanese cuisine has long been considered a classic, but also the Taiwanese people's favorite everyday, now because of the outbreak of toxic starch, so we talk about the discoloration. Continue plasticizer storm then, no one would have thought that once again blew the island food safety issues will be - toxic starch... Maleic acid, also known as 'maleic acid', belonging to other chemical binder resin material, generally used for coating the insulating material or as raw materials to produce pesticides, toxic raw materials for industrial use, add starch for human consumption is poison starch price and qualified poison starch starch differ 4-6 times, so it is added to the food industry black heart, sent to the people on the table...

Taiwan and trap 'poisonous food' panic, even more than before plasticizer storm. Taiwan 'dialysis Kingdom' title, after the outbreak of toxic starch, some nephrologists and toxicology expert said: 'finally found the culprit kidney injury. 'Shin Kong Hospital nephrology physician Emori Shan said, maleic acid in animal experiments will lead to the dog's tubular injury, causing irreversible damage... Poison starch invade the daily lives of ordinary people, this time, it seems that no one can say that I am very far away from the black-hearted food...
◎

★ Chang Gung Memorial Hospital & medical University

www.ettoday.net   2.13.2013

Professor Ja-Liang Lin (director of Clinical Toxicology) stressed Paylean is toxic (although less toxic, but Paylean definitely is "瘦肉精" ), and may causes palpitations and other cardiovascular diseases, currently is banned by 29 countries including Singapore and Europe Union.  (Dr. J.L.Lin does not agree Taiwan government's policy to import US beef -  reported by news.pts.org.tw  & Apple Daily 8.5.2013, now Taiwan is open for US beef)

◎

★ The Straits Times, ASIA NEWS NETWORK,  29-05-2013

 Food vendors in Taiwan wring hands over toxic starch 

 Eateries, night market stalls and convenience shops around Taiwan are reeling after a substance harmful to the kidneys was found in popular snacks from meat balls to the tapioca "pearls" used in bubble tea.

The scare is reminiscent of a 2011 scandal when an industrial chemical detrimental to sexual development was found in hundreds of beverages ...

At the centre of the latest storm is the industrial substance maleic anhydride, which imparts chewiness but can cause kidney failure if taken in sufficient doses...

Some experts, such as Dr Lin Chieh-liang, the chief clinical toxicologist at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, linked the prevalence of toxic powdered starch to the disproportionately high incidence of kidney failure in Taiwan.

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★ Consumer Reports of Taiwan  Sept. 5, 2013
Head-line :  ractopamine is found in beef sample test of 2013!
 On March 2012, ractopamine was found in 1/3 (5 pieces) beef samples selected from markets.  In another test on July 2013, ractopamine 0.01 ppm was found in one piece frozen US beef sample. 

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 ★ China Post  8.28.2013

Bakery scandal just tip of deceptive food ads. iceberg   (abstract version)

The bakery ( Top Pot Bakery, a famous Taiwanese company) had been boasting in its advertisements that its bread was made with natural ingredients and zero flavoring essence. This was found (by a Hong Kong blogger & customer) to be a somewhat inaccurate claim (ps: deceptive advertising): the company had been adding artificial essences into its breads.

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★ United Daily News 4.30.2011 ,  CNNGO  3.23.2012

 Top 10 Most Dangerous Taiwanese food in night markets
(<聯合報> 4.30.2011)

night market food

heat  density(Kcal/g)熱量密度

quantity of heat
 (Kcal/g)熱量

鹽酥雞Taiwan's fried chicken

 3.9 585/150

蔥油餅Scallion Cake or Chinese Pizza    (intro. by CNN)

 3.78 541/143
鍋貼Fried-Dumpling                                     3.06 753/246
大腸包小腸
Small Sausage in Large Sausage (intro. by CNN)		 2.68 582/217
滷肉飯
Braised Pork Rice                         		2.25 648/288
油炸臭豆府腐
deep fried Stinky Tofu		 2.13 565/265
米糕
Gutinous Rice Pudding                    		1.98 672/340
肉圓Meatball 1.85 324/185
蚵仔煎
   Oyster Omelet                               		1.55 516/332
蚵仔麵線Oyster thin/soft Noodles (intro. by CNN) 1.01 415/412
(above may be: Top 10 Most Popular Local Delicacies)
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Top 10 street food in Shilin night market   (士林夜市)

night market food

 heat
 (Kcal)熱量

Deep fried chicken breast
 (豪大炸雞排)

 657

蚵仔煎
   Oyster Omelet 

525
油炸臭豆府腐
deep fried Stinky Tofu                      		496
Tempura (Japanese name), deep-fried fish kind  stuffs天婦羅 482
士林大香腸
 Large Sausage          		385
大餅包小餅
Small roll (pie) in Large roll (pie)		 385
士林大煎包
 Pan-fried Pork Dumpling (Large sheng jian bao )                		340
fruits/fruits slices 297
    Fried Cuttlefish Soup/ sautéed octopus/ stir fried octopus, squids
生炒花枝		 209
Perfect Spareribs十全排骨 175
Ps: (1) advice: share food with your friend, peel the fried chicken skin, etc
(2) measure Kcal compared with : 1 bowl of cooked rice has about 280 Kcal

CNNGO introduced Taiwanese snacks in night markets and ranked it as No. 2 among Asia's 10 greatest street foods. 1. Sheng jian bao生煎包 2. Chou doufu (stinky tofu) 臭豆腐 3. Oa misua (oyster vermicelli) 蚵仔麵線 4. Gua bao (pork belly bun or "Taiwanese burger," as it's sometimes called)  掛包 5.  Hujiao bing ( wheat buns more accurately, pies or pockets)   胡椒餅 6. Niu rou mian ( spicy beef soup with hand-pulled noodles)牛肉麵 7. Douhua 豆花  8. Cong you bing ( a flaky scallion pancake made with hand-rolled dough) 蔥油餅  9. Da chang bao xiao chang (Small Sausage in Large Sausage , big sausage wrapped around small sausage)大腸包小腸.

　

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★ Taipei Times   May 27, 2013

Plasticizers found in 10 food products in Taipei

VICTIMS? One firm said that it complied with a recall and tested all its products after last year’s scare, so it wondered if the test sample had come from old stock
After a plasticizer food scare in May last year, 10 more products have been found to contain excessive levels of plasticizers, ...

Plasticizers are chemical additives used to make plastic more pliable, but they were found in food additives such as clouding agents — a food additive used to emulsify drinks and make them look more appealing — sparking a food scare.

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★ China Post  8.27.2013

Sunsuivi, one of the three top-selling rice brands in Taiwan, sold the rice with labels boasting that the product is home grown, but it was actually poor-quality rice imported from Vietnam.
Some 50,000 packages of mislabeled rice have been sold...  Sunsuivi apologizes for selling Vietnam rice as local...

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★ China Post  May 17, 2013

New Taipei City seizes over 14,000 liters of problematic soy sauce products

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- ... New Taipei City yesterday seized up to 14,480 liters of soy sauce products allegedly containing an excessive amount of heterocyclic organic chemicals from an underground factory ...

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★  Channel New Asia, Singapore  6.6.2013

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/no-import-of-chemical-tainted-soy-sauce-/700256.html

The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority said Singapore does not import soy sauce from Taiwan that has been implicated to be harmful for consumption...

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★ United Daily News blog http://blog.udn.com/pfge/2265977     2008.10.2

Nestle and KLIM milk powder were found with contained Melamine（C3H6N6）in Taiwan, although Taiwan's leader in health dept. and  food industry research and development Institute both guaranteed all milk powder in shelves were passed strict test and are safe...

PS: all news above are abstract version.   Details pls. refer to media in that day.
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★ United Daily News   Dec. 18  & Dec. 19, 2013

        Criticizing "Taiwan food" series (written in Chinese)

     ◎ The only thing consumers can do is to pray Taiwanese businesses have no evil heart
              http://udn.com/NEWS/NATIONAL/NATS3/8370314.shtml
       ◎  Where're those major manufacturers' social conscience ??  http://udn.com/NEWS/NATIONAL/NATS3/8367832.shtml
       ◎ Good flavor & taste & look ... but, What did you eat?  http://udn.com/NEWS/NATIONAL/NATS3/8367850.shtml

      ◎ mixing addictives makes Taiwan food a monster http://udn.com/NEWS/NATIONAL/NATS3/8370305.shtml

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★  Taiwan is the only country in the world to import GM soy for eating ,  BBC  6.6.2013
       <Taiwan diet danger everywhere>
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/taiwan_letters/2013/06/130606_twletter_food_safety.shtml  (Chinese version 危机四伏的饮食)

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★ The China Times 6.23.2013
Taiwan imports pigs' food for human kinds in Taiwan

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★ WikiLeaks 2010 : Taiwanese people are friendly for Bio. tech. and are intend to buy GM label food, so the "Embassy" of a strong nation is planning to build a (3) Genetic Modification (GM) zone in Taiwan.
 In fact, it's a so called "national scandal" (the China Times, Mar. 29, 2013) that Taiwanese consumers generally do not fully know or don't care  the controversy health risks caused by GM food.  Taiwanese government should urge everyone refusing to buy and eat GM food. 
 About 99.5% of soy food products in Taiwan are imported, 90% of them are GM soy beans

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★

　 World Best restaurants in Asia, by Wikipedia, Daily Meal, World's50Best, Country Brand Index
　 　

★  The World's 50 Best Restaurants 1-50, 2013 sponsored by S. Pellegrino & Acqua Panna,   April 29, 2013  http://www.theworlds50best.com/list/1-50-winners/
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World's_50_Best_Restaurants  (by Wikipedia)

There is no any Taiwanese restaurant included in the list.

On this list, top 10 are in Western world (Spain, Denmark, Italia, USA, UK, Austria, Germany), Hong Kong's 龍景軒 is the highest ranking (No.75) Chinese restaurant,  Taiwanese chef Jiang (江振誠)'s "Restaurant Andre" located in Singapore ranks No.38.


★US  <The Daily Meal> (USA) 101 Best Restaurants in Asia, The Daily Meal celebrates the most exemplary epicurean endeavors in Asia :

 http://www.thedailymeal.com/101-best-restaurants-asia  May 16, 2013

Good restaurants in Taiwan include

         Din Tai Fung ...  but

         ● (1) Din Tai Fung admitted at 5-9-2012 having used  Monosodium Glutamate / sodium glutamate (M.S.G.)as addictive in some foods there -  and they won't change this policy so as to keep major cuisine (e.g., steamed bun/bao (小籠包), chicken soup) delicious (according to United Daily News 5.9.2013).  According to  National Health Research Institutes and United Daily News (8-15-2015) "Horrible foods for dining out": Taiwan's food (in restaurants, cafeteria, etc) problems include using MSG.   According to medical studies, using Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a controversial issue. (ref to "The Dangers of MSG" : http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/facts/the-dangers-of-monosodium-glutamate.htm)  Some claimed it may causes asthma, headache, even brain damage. )
         ● (2) Din Tai Fung suspiciously were involved in Taiwanese food scandal, Apple Daily (蘋果日報)10-10-2014 reported that one Taiwanese Dept. of Health found out Din Tai Fung imported some oil products from King's Cook which bought  lard oil (mixing animal feed with cooking oil) from Ting Hsin Int'l. ( http://www.appledaily.com.tw/realtimenews/article/new/20141010/485241/   台中市衛生局調查發現，鼎泰豐曾向購買頂新正義油品的台中金品調理(KingsCook) 公司進貨，恐中鏢。)
         ● (3) Din Tai Fung admitted having used G.M.(genetic modified) soy material(豆類) for a long time (until July 2015).   The China Times, (3.29.2013) reported professor Kuo H. J. (National Taiwan University, Department of Agronomy) comments - Taiwan using G.M.(genetic modified) is "national scandal" (「國家級醜聞」), French scholar Seralini found G.M. foods may cause cancer with higher probability,    BBC (6.6.2013)<Taiwan diet danger everywhere>: Taiwan is the only country in the world imports GM soy for eating.  But Din Tai Fung still used the "scandalous" G.M. stuff for 2+ years after the news being spread island-wide.  Recently, CNN (7-24-2015) dropped Din Tai Fung down to No.20 position  in Taiwanese foods list.

Besides, there're 6 restaurants located in Taipei rank Top 101 Asian best restaurants:
 No. 43: 台南(Tainan)度小月擔仔麵
 No. 50: 非零餐廳 (meaning translation: Non-zero restaurant)
 No. 70: 義大利餐館(Osteria by Angie), an Italia restaurant
 No. 74: 七十二牛肉麵 (Seventy-Two beef noodle restaurant)
 No. 76: 法式餐廳(La Cocotte, a French restaurant)
 No. 86: 鐵匠鐵板燒居酒屋。

ps:
     Best dish in Taiwan : oyster omelet (introduced by Discovery channel of USA) ―  it is most typical Taiwanese food( street snack everywhere in night markets), but not exquisite & elaborated food.    The oyster omelet usually use peanut (fatal aflatoxin often come from this, Taiwanese beef noodle if using 豆瓣醬 may has possibility of containing aflatoxin which may leads to liver cancer ) powder and unknown addictives.  Chinese language intro. to Taiwan cuisines

★ According to < Miele  Guide> of 2011/2012, There's no any Taiwanese restaurants included in top 20 list,  as for top 5 restaurants in Taiwan are listed as below:
   (1) Din Tai Fung,  ps: This restaurant admits they do use Monosodium Glutamate as addictive, and won't change this policy so as to keep major cuisine (e.g., steamed bun, chicken soup) delicious, according to United Daily News 5.9.2013.
   (2) 銀翼 (best dishes:文思豆腐,蔥開煨麵)
   (3) 欣葉 (02-25963255, best: 煎豬肝, 菜埔蛋)
   (4) 樂沐法式餐廳, a French restaurant (excellent, evaluated by Relais & Chateaux in 2011)
        in Taichung city (04)23753002(best dish: 經典套餐NT3800)
   (5)La Cocotte, a traditional French cuisine restaurant own by Fabien Verge (02)33223289 (best dish: NT980白酒墩牛肚)

★ According to < Country Brand Index> of 2007( 2008 Top Country Brand Index Ranking  )，Japan is the only Asian country ranking top 10, Red China is a rising star.

"Fine dining" category:

2007-2008

 Italia, Singapore, Japan, US, UK, UAE, Malaysia, Spain, Argentina .( underscore for Eastern nations) 
"Food" category:

2011-2012

 1 Italy, 2France, 3 Japan, 4Spain, 5 Singapore, 6 Thailand, 7 India, 8 Brasil, 9 Malaysia, 10 Swiss, 11 Germany, 12 Vietnam, 13 Greece, 14 Australia, 15 USA (underscore for Asian nations)

　

　

       

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