Safety inspections of agro-products

One aspect of food safety management is testing for agrochemical residues, both in the field and at warehouses. In 2011 the COA conducted 10,303 tests on samples of fruits and vegetables, 3000 on tea leaves, and 726 on rice; conducted 391,116 biochemical tests; conducted 37,064 pre-retail tests of the quality of veterinary drugs used in livestock and poultry; conducted 1387 tests for chemical residues and heavy metals in aquaculture ponds; and conducted 2065 rapid screenings for chemical residues in seafood in fish markets.

The COA has also strengthened drug-testing of hogs for the ten leading hog farms as determined by monthly trading prices in the meat market. Swine-origin products whose samples do not conform to regulations cannot be traded. In addition, we have provided guidance to poultry farms and slaughterhouses to conduct chemical-residue testing on broilers, free-range chickens, and meat ducks three days prior to slaughter. We also tested 1637 samples of animal feed (both from factories and from individual households who make their own) for antibiotics and other veterinary drugs, with a positive test rate of 1.7%.

Disease prevention and inspection in animals and plants

The COA has worked to strengthen monitoring, reporting, and early warning systems for epidemic diseases that affect plants or animals. We have continued efforts to: (a) prevent and control classical swine fever and foot and mouth disease (FMD); (b) effectively control goat pox through vaccination; (c) prevent highly pathogenic avian influenza; (d) develop an integrated pest management (IPM) and area-wide control system for imported red fire ants and major pests; and (e) maintain Taiwan as an area free of major diseases or pests such as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and the Mediterranean fruit fly.

The COA has approved 1592 extended applications of agrochemicals and extended applications of aquaculture veterinary drugs, under ten categories (covering the majority of aquaculture animals), while strengthening investigation of, and enforcement against, illegal use of agrochemicals and veterinary drugs. We have also promoted R&D, registration, and marketing of vaccination for aquaculture animals and produced Taiwan’s first-ever fish vaccination—inactive grouper iridovirus vaccine. We also have 40 dog-and-handler detector teams working at international portals, where in 2011 they intercepted 54,000 items of contraband, totaling 58.5 metric tons.

In 2011 the COA also did quarantine treatments and inspection of 3031 metric tons of fresh fruit exported to the US, Japan, Korea, and three other countries. The COA also did the necessary inspection and testing work to facilitate the export of 19.7 million seedlings of Phalaenopsis orchids with growth media to the US, Korea, Canada, and Australia.