Taiwan Mandates Food Safety Training for Delivery Workers

Taiwan is set to implement mandatory food safety training for its estimated 100,000 food delivery workers, aiming to enhance hygiene standards across the industry. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has drafted regulations requiring all new delivery personnel to complete at least one hour of food safety education before starting their work.

Existing delivery workers will also be required to undergo a minimum of one hour of annual training. The curriculum will focus on essential food safety knowledge. Delivery platforms can conduct the training themselves or utilize accredited institutions. To ensure quality, instructors must be certified food technologists, public health professionals, or individuals with relevant academic and professional experience in food safety management.

“

New delivery platform workers should complete at least 1 hour of food hygiene and safety education training before starting to deliver food; those already delivering food should also receive at least 1 hour of relevant training each year.

This initiative is part of broader efforts to regulate the gig economy, following the "Act for the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Platform Workers and the Management of Platform Operations" enacted in January. The FDA's regulations specify training content and hours, empowering relevant authorities to set these standards.

Failure to comply with the training requirements could lead to significant penalties. Delivery workers with insufficient training hours may face fines of NT$20,000 to NT$100,000, with stricter penalties of NT$60,000 to NT$200 million for complete non-compliance, prioritizing the higher fines under the "Food Safety and Sanitation Act." The FDA has also previously updated guidelines for food delivery platforms, mandating clean, insulated delivery containers and proper temperature control to minimize contamination risks.

“

If delivery workers have insufficient food hygiene and safety training hours, they will be given a deadline to make improvements according to the platform worker protection law. If they fail to make improvements by the deadline, they may be fined NT$20,000 to NT$100,000.