|
Canadian bone-in beef gets the import all-clear
SAFE AND HEALTHY: The government set the same conditions for Canadian beef imports as for US beef, saying the imports would not harm the local industry
By Helen Ku and Shih Hsiu-chuan / Staff reporters
Taiwan is to allow bone-in beef products from cattle under 30 months of age to be imported from Canada as soon as next month, but cattle skulls, eyes, brains, spinal cords and ground meat remain banned to minimize the risks of bovine spongiform encephalopathy — also known as mad cow disease — the Ministry of Economic Affairs said.
Consumers and local meat product suppliers do not have to worry about food security or any adverse impacts from the Canadian beef, because the government will adopt strict measures to regulate the imports, Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Francis Liang (梁國新) told a press conference yesterday.
Currently, only boneless beef from cattle under 30 months of age is allowed to be imported from Canada, the ministry said.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deputy director-general Chiang Yu-mei (姜郁美) yesterday said Canada, like the US, remains “a controlled risk country” according to the World Organization for Animal Health’s categorization, because of incidences of mad cow disease in the country.
However, after conducting field work and meeting with experts, the administration found that the chances of becoming infected with the new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease — mad cow disease — by eating Canadian beef products is 1.22 out of 100 billion, representing an infection probability of “close to zero.”
As a result, the government decided to set the same conditions for Canadian beef imports as for US beef, Chiang said, adding that only bone-in beef from cattle under 30 months of age and beef offal such as lips, ears, back straps and abdominal diaphragms will be allowed to be imported.
Citing research conducted by the FDA, Chiang said local meat suppliers’ home market share was only 6 percent in 2012, while Australian beef products had a 46 percent market share, followed by US beef products at 24.76 percent, New Zealand beef products at 23 percent and Canadian beef products at 0.3 percent.
“It is not possible for Canadian beef product imports to harm the local meat industry, given that most of the beef products consumed by Taiwanese are imported and not made locally,” Huang Kuo-ching (黃國青), head of the Council of Agriculture’s Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, said at the conference.
Huang said he thinks the complementary effect between Canadian and Taiwanese beef products would be limited, because imported beef products are mainly frozen and purchased by Western-style restaurants, while local beef products are purchased by smaller vendors for instant cooking.
In terms of trade, the ministry said opening Taiwan’s market to Canadian bone-in beef can help the country move closer to signing a bilateral investment agreement (BIA) with Canada.
Liang said the government is set to sign an avoidance of double taxation agreement (ADTA) with Canada by the end of the first half of the year.
Once the ADTA is inked, the government can initiate talks between Taiwan and Canada on signing the BIA, which is expected to help create the opportunity for the nation to join more regional economic blocs, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, as soon as possible, he added.
The Canadian Trade Office in Taipei welcomed the announcement.
“This announcement reflects the strong economic ties between Taiwan and Canada, and demonstrates clearly Taiwan’s desire to further liberalize their economy and further integrate into the broader regional and global economy,” the office said.
The move will benefit an important part of the Canadian economy, agricultural exports, while also benefiting Taiwanese consumers through greater choices, it said.
“Canadian beef, as has been recognized globally, is both of very high quality and safe. The Canadian food safety regime is among the world’s best, and guarantees that Canadian agricultural products are a healthy and safe choice for the Taiwanese consumer,” Canadian Representative to Taiwan Kathleen Mackay said.
Mackay added that her country looks forward to continuing close cooperation with Taiwan to enhance and deepen their trading relationship.
Food and Drug Administration Deputy Director-General Chiang Yu-mei (姜郁美) said yesterday that Taiwan started to import boneless products from Canada in June 2007, after which Canada has been trying to have all its beef products sanctioned for entry into the local market.
“During the period we have been conducting four checks on cattle farms, slaughterhouses and processing factories in Canada to evaluate the quality of feed and management procedures,” Chiang said.
“As for the beef imports, we have also had experts conducting two risk assessments. The results suggest that the risk of a person being infected with the new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease by daily consumption of Canadian beef from birth to age 80 is 1.22 out of 100 billion, which is almost equal to zero,” she added.
Earlier yesterday, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and the caucus whips of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) were briefed on the issue by Chiang, along with related officials, before the announcement was made.
The officials reassured lawmakers present at the briefing that the safety of Canadian bone-in beef is not a concern because Canada adheres to high standards of quality control, and that local cattle farmers are not facing competition from Canadian beef in the local market, Wang said.
TSU Legislator Hsu Chung-hsin (許忠信) said the party supported the policy.
The request by Canada that Taiwan allow imports of its bone-in beef under the same rules applied to US beef is “legitimate and reasonable” because Canada adopts the same quality management standards as the US, and the US, Canada and Taiwan are all members of the WTO, Hsu said.
The Democratic Progressive Party legislative caucus later yesterday said in a press release that it supports the policy to secure a better chance for the nation to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The DPP demanded that Canadian beef imports be subject to the ban on US beef that prohibits imports of “risky” beef products and that the government ensures effective inspections to keep risky products out of the countr.
Additional reporting by Alison Hsiao
source: Taipei Times
|
