Taipei Mayor Slams President's Food Safety Remarks as 'Shirking Responsibility'

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an sharply criticized President Lai Ching-te, accusing him of evading responsibility and making excuses after a month of silence on food safety issues. Lai had previously designated Taichung as a major food safety "breach point" during a meeting in the city.

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After being incommunicado for over a month, the first thing he does is shirk responsibility.

Chiang stated that the government's handling of recent food safety and oil contamination scandals has eroded public trust. He questioned whether Lai, as president and DPP chairman, had convened a national security meeting on the issue, referencing Lai's past high standards for food safety when he was mayor, famously declaring "food safety is national security."

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It is hard to imagine that such an important special municipality is a breach point for African swine fever and a food safety loophole.

The controversy highlights ongoing concerns about food safety in Taiwan. Recent scandals have involved issues like cooking oil exceeding permissible levels of harmful substances. Chiang pointed to specific instances, such as a key meeting to set standards being attended by an individual now under investigation, and state-owned sugar company Taiwan Sugar discovering oil with excessive levels of benzopyrene in May without immediate reporting.

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Have you convened a national security meeting? Has the central government taken responsibility?

Chiang emphasized that the public demands a clear explanation for these incidents. He expressed frustration that the government has not provided a satisfactory account, and that questionable details continue to emerge. The mayor concluded that the public finds the government's response unacceptable and has lost faith in its ability to manage food safety effectively.

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The public wants a clear and complete explanation of what happened, but the government still cannot explain it clearly.