(Taiwan) Most vegetarian foods have animal ingredients

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Thu, 10 Jun 2004 22:26:28 EDT

Animalara2003

AR-News: (Taiwan) Most vegetarian foods have animal

ingredients

ar-news

 

The China Post

2004/6/11

TAIPEI, Taiwan, The China Post Staff

 

 

 

Consumers in Taiwan are advised to make careful examination when they

purchase vegetarian products since as high as 70 percent of such food products

are

found to have animal ingredients.

Lawmaker Chen Chien-ming of the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), an ally of the

ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), said in a press conference

yesterday that 15 of the 21 vegetarian products examined by the Department of

Health

(DOH) were found to contain animal ingredients such as pork, fish, fowl, and

beef products.

The samples were purchased from two markets on Hulin Street and Wushing

Street in the Sungshan District of Taipei City in early March.

Chen said that the DOH should carefully examine all products described as

being vegetarian and should impose stiff fines on producers who add animal

products to their merchandise.

He noted that statistics provided by the DOH show that of the population aged

19-44 in Taiwan, one out of every 10 define themselves as vegetarians,

meaning that the vegetarian population is above 2 million on the island.

According to the Food Health Management Law, if food producers supply

counterfeit or alter products, they will be subject to fines of between

NT$40,000 and

NT$200,000. Those who falsely label their products will be subject to fines

of up to NT$150,000.

" To protect the rights of vegetarians in Taiwan, the DOH should impose

stiffer fines, " Chen urged.

He also urged consumers to pay attention when buying vegetarian products.

Buddhist nun Shi Chao Hui, a professor at Hsuan Chuang University, lamented

that only two of 21 vendors in the probe could provide information about the

origin of their products.

 

 

full story:

 

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/detail.asp?ID=49647 & GRP=A

 

 

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