Since the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reclaimed the running of food inspection services in 2011, food and food ingredients of any country must comply with the inspection conducted by the FDA pursuant to the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation and Regulations of Inspection of Imported Foods and Related Products before they can be imported. Bulk imports or oil barrels above 150kg from foreign companies should have attached health reports – authorized by the competent health authority of the exporting country or companies registered with Taiwanese diplomatic missions – stating that such goods are fit for human consumption. 

Concerning today’s media reports on Chang Guann’s importation of industrial lard from Hong Kong, investigations revealed that since 2011, the company has imported 300 tonnes of lard from Hong Kong’s Globalway Corp Ltd. (212.28 tonnes in 2011, 87.72 tonnes in 2014) (as detailed in Table 1). Chang Guann’s survey reports issued by notary firm Eagle View Company Limited stated that the goods were fit for consumption, and were filed in accordance with the regulations of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (Hong Kong) [formerly known as China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Ltd.]. 

On September 8, 2014, the FDA has requested that Hong Kong’s Food and Environmental Hygiene Department’s Centre for Food Safety investigate the oil sources and quality of Globalway Corp Ltd.’s ‘lard’ products. A preliminary hearing yesterday revealed that investigations into Globalway Corp Ltd., which is suspected to be involved in the export of lard to Taiwan, have begun and further information will be duly submitted to the FDA.