Terrified by cows! Zhu Lilun: Use the most stringent standards to control

At a time when Chinese people are in a panic because they are "terrified of cows"! On the 20th, Mayor Zhu Lilun made a special report in the council on the topic of "The incident of imported beef containing clenbuterol - New Taipei City's response." In addition to thanking the council members for their attention to the public's food hygiene and safety, Mayor Chu said that the city government will take more proactive measures to ensure safety by promoting production records, promoting organic and non-toxic agriculture, and strictly using pesticides.

Mayor Eric Chu made a special trip to the council to explain the issue of ractopamine in American beef, which concerns 4 million citizens. Democratic Progressive Party legislators held up banners opposing ractopamine. (Photo provided by Taiwan Good News)

Mayor Zhu pointed out that the first step is to strictly inspect the importers of clenbuterol from the upstream, immediately seal up unqualified products, and emphasize the management of imported meat. The second step is to strengthen the inspection and random sampling of stores selling imported meat; the last step is to proactively guide downstream catering operators to indicate the origin of the products so that the public can easily judge.

Mayor Zhu pointed out that as of now, the city government has recalled and sealed more than 18,000 kilograms of substandard imported beef. In the future, the following actions will be taken regarding imported beef, including: strengthening the inspection and filing of meat from importers, strengthening the inspection of commercially available meat, deepening the self-management responsibility of businesses, regularly sampling and monitoring the quality and safety of commercially available and campus meat, improving independent inspection capabilities, shortening the time limit for product inspections, and conducting inspections in conjunction with health units in neighboring counties and cities to prevent unscrupulous businesses from passing off counterfeit goods as genuine.

Health Bureau Director Lin Xuerong said that since the detection of ractopamine residues in imported beef products on the market in mid-February, the city government, together with the city government's Agriculture Bureau, Consumer Protection Officer, etc., on February 14, strengthened importers' control over the safety of their imported beef, and actively provided guidance and inspections on beef or beef meals in major supermarkets, restaurants, fast food restaurants, beef noodle shops and other places, requiring that the origin of the products must be clearly marked. At the same time, the guidance, inspection and sampling results were published on the website for public review.

Zhu Lilun said that from 2000 to 2006, our country did not formulate any regulations on clenbuterol, but as a local government, it is necessary to regulate according to relevant laws. He emphasized that before the central government has completed the relevant amendments, the clenbuterol content standard will remain at "zero detection." He pointed out that even if the central government approves the use of ractopamine in the future, the city government will still check whether it exceeds the standard, set self-requirements at the implementation level, and strictly regulate.