- Department:Comprehensive Planning Division
To safeguard food safety during the Lunar New Year holiday, the Ministry of Environment (MOENV) continues to strengthen the management of toxic and concerned chemical substances that may pose potential food safety risks through both regulatory measures and preventive actions. Working alongside local governments, the Ministry provides guidance and conducts audits on around 3,000 chemical raw material-related businesses every year. Furthermore, it executes joint food safety audits and supply chain monitoring in partnership with environmental, health, and agricultural authorities at both the central and local levels, intensifying efforts to ensure food safety.
The Ministry of Environment stated that the Chemicals Administration continues to assess chemical substances that may present food safety risks. In 2017 and 2018, twenty substances, including rongalite and Sudan dyes, were designated as Class IV toxic chemical substances. In 2023, five additional substances, including lead monoxide, were announced as chemicals of concern. These designations regulate activities such as manufacturing, importation, sale, use, and storage. Operators must obtain the required permits, registration documents, or approvals before conducting such activities, and must also report operational records, complete labeling of containers, packaging, and premises, prepare safety data sheets, and fulfill other related requirements. Furthermore, under the annual “Inspection Plan for the Operation and Flow Verification of Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substances,” local environmental protection authorities provide guidance and conduct audits on operators in their jurisdictions. They also regularly verify operational records to strengthen oversight of toxic and concerned chemical substances that may pose food safety risks.
The Ministry further noted that beyond listing chemicals with potential food safety risks, it has partnered with local governments since 2017 to conduct over 3,000 annual inspections of chemical suppliers. These measures bolster industry self-regulation and prevent industrial chemicals from being diverted into the food supply. Additionally, during the Lunar New Year, the Ministry collaborates with health authorities on comprehensive joint inspection programs to intensify the oversight of toxic and concerned chemical substances, ensuring they are blocked from entering the food chain.
The MOENV added that it, together with the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Agriculture, maintains a coordinated monitoring system for the food supply chain. Should any contamination be suspected in foods on the market, agricultural, livestock, or aquatic products, or the environment, a cross-agency notification and response mechanism is triggered immediately: health authorities pull products from shelves, agricultural agencies impose movement controls, and environmental authorities contain the pollution. Furthermore, if monitoring indicates elevated levels of pollutants in air, soil, or water, the MOENV promptly initiates an inter-agency notification, and agricultural and health authorities conduct investigations and testing of nearby crops and food products to ensure effective oversight of the situation.
The Ministry of Environment emphasized that through regulatory management, preventive guidance, and cross-ministerial cooperation in monitoring, notification, and response mechanisms, central and local government agencies will continue to step up their efforts in the Year of the Horse to safeguard food safety for the public from farm to table.
