Sally Schuff is reporting for Feedstuffs online that consumer resistance and political pressure in Taiwan, as well as regulatory confusion between the Asian nation and US exporters have caused the new deal that allows the importation of additional beef product exports into Taiwan than have previously been allowed, essentially since the BSE (mad cow) discovery back in 2003.As this blog has reported, the exports will have to follow US Department of Agriculture (USDA) tests and guidelines to ensure the beef entering Taiwan is from an animal that was slaughtered when it was less than 30 months old. There are other requirements that must be met as well, including what regulations Taiwan will impose and how this will affect what type of products can be exported to the country.
According to Schuff, “[r]egulations that make it unclear exactly what new U.S. beef products Taiwan will allow under its newly announced beef import protocol prompted USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service on Nov. 4 to suspend U.S. beef exports from cattle slaughtered after Nov. 2.” An industry source told Schuff that the decision to suspend exports was a “government-to government” decision, and “the industry anticipates there will be a satisfactory resolution.
Meanwhile, Schuff reports that following the announcement on resuming beef imports from the US, Taiwan consumers have expressed their concerns over food safety and they are stepping up political pressure on their leaders. Those within the beef industry in the United States think these concerns are unfounded and argue that the US surveillance program and regulations that involve food safety in the US go far beyond what other countries do.
To read the Schuff story in Feedstuffs click here.
Posted: 11/09/09
