威爾斯美語嘉義分校

The recently revealed polluted oil scandal has had wide ramifications in Taiwan. According to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) latest findings, the tainted oil has been used in at least 136 food products by 971 companies. The list contains some well-known brands and products.

The GMP association yesterday apologized to the public, as some GMP-labeled products were found on the FDA's list. While the lard oil produced by Chang Guann Co. (強冠) is not GMP certified, the oil was used by five GMP-certified food companies and was a component of 14 GMP-certified products.

According to GMP's Bonnie Sun, the problem lies in inadequate source control. The GMP system only checks examination reports, and in the future, the association will be more prudent about source control.

To this end, the GMP association will also set up a source ingredient control standard to prevent companies from using a few GMP-certified food products to mislead consumers. To this end, the GMP association will try to examine all products that are similar to a company's GMP-certified products.

GMP as a Self-Regulating Body for the Food Industry

In the wake of the food scandal, some have lashed out against the GMP association, saying that the association acts “both as players and as judges in a ball game.” Critics say GMP should cease to exist.

In response, Sun stressed that the GMP system was established by food companies to ensure better quality control. While the association is not managed by the government, members of the association will try to adhere to regulations set by the government, Sun said.

The GMP association is neither a judge nor a player, Sun said, adding that however strict a regulation is, there will always be people who will break the law. Sun said that this does not justify repealing the laws, implying that the GMP association's existence is still needed.

Heads of several well-known companies including Florida Bakery (多提亞食品), UTC Foods (聯夏食品), Taisun Enterprise (泰山企業) and HeySong Corporation (黑松) also accompanied Sun at yesterday's press conference.

In the future, the GMP program will keep better track of source ingredients, at the same time ensuring food safety and a high standard of sanitation throughout the supply chain. The GMP association will continue working with the government while learning from other countries' success stories in food safety management, said Sun.

Reference: http://www.chinapost.com.tw/print/416790.htm