FDA says imported food labels must be in Mandarin

TAIPEI -- Companies that sell imported food products should make sure the ingredients are clearly labeled in Mandarin, otherwise they risk a fine of up to NT$3 million (US$99,000), health authorities said yesterday.

Hsu made the remarks at a news conference in Taipei that was called by lawmaker Lin Tsang-min of the ruling Kuomintang, who raised the issue of imported food labeling.According to the Act Governing Food Sanitation, imported food products must be labeled in Chinese, said Hsu Chin-feng, an official at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Lin said some imported food products in supermarkets and grocery stores in Taiwan do not carry Chinese-language labels and he called for tighter inspections of such products.

Hsu, meanwhile, said the law allows a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$3 million for violations of the Chinese-language labeling regulation.