Taipei County implements 'Three No's' beef policies

Large banners warned Taiwanese citizens that they could wave their health “bye bye” as approximately twenty people from both government organizations and private groups such as the Consumers' Foundation Chinese Taipei (CFCT) showed their disgust at the relaxation of import restrictions unveiled on Monday, which expanded the list of importable U.S. beef products to include skulls, backbones, brain matter and intestinal organs.

The Consumer's Foundation urged the public to fight for their consumer rights. Joining with members of the Homemaker's Union and Foundation and recruiting students aged 20 and above, the social organizations are trying to get a petition against the relaxed restrictions, aiming for 86,000 signatures, the number required by the Central Election Commission for their case to be heard by the Referendum Review Committee.

In other forms of protest against imported U.S. cow intestines, the Taipei County Government implemented the “three don't-one clear” policy, which pushed the message: “don't buy, don't sell, don't eat” and “clear labeling.”

Representatives of fast food chains Burger King, KFC, Mos Burger and wholesale store Carrefour all signed warrants in agreement with the policy. Representative of McDonald's, RT-Mart, Costco and several hotel establishments were noticeably absent.

Taipei County Magistrate Chou Hsi-wei pointedly called out McDonald's and Costco, saying extra inspection measures will be applied to those establishments to ensure the health safety of consumers. The county's Legal Affairs Bureau director Chen Kun-jung also reprimanded the Taipei County Hotel Trade Association and RT-Mart for failure to attend and promised to deal with them by conducting equally harsh inspections, which may result in penalties in accordance with consumer law.

Chou said the central government must re-negotiate import restrictions with the U.S. or “cut military spending.” The county magistrate said he has already contacted Taipei City Mayor Hau Lung-bing and that they, along with “the public and local governments” are all cooperating to make their efforts heard.

Taipei County began inspections of imported U.S. ground beef three weeks ago and implemented the “Three don't-one clear” policy yesterday. Chen warned that failure to comply with the policy can result in enforced seizing of goods off shelves and destruction of the meat and penalty fines from NT$60,000 to NT$1,500,000 for the inspected businesses or establishments.

In Taipei City, the government and nine beef-importers have armed themselves for defense against imported American beef products — especially ground meat and intestines.

As a way to combat the offending meat, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bing said that any U.S. beef imported into Taipei will be immediately identified by country of origin, cut and section of the cow, and then quarantined for quality assessment.

The representatives of nine beef-importing establishments, among them the Nobel Family Co., LTD, Universal Beef International Co., LTD, Keeper International Corp. and Mayfull foods Corp., met with Hau yesterday morning to sign a warrant stating that they will not sell U.S.-imported cow intestines, ground beef and backbone.

The Law and Regulation Commission of Taipei City Government has given 32 wholesale and restaurant establishments — including Cosco, RT-Mart, Trader Vic's Restaurant and Wang Steak House — a notice to sign the warrant within the next three days.

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