ECCT Retail & Distribution/Cosmetics Committee Lunch

Future direction of Taiwan's regulations for food and cosmetics

Guest speaker
Chiang Yu-mei, Director-General, Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare

衛生福利部食品藥物管理署姜郁美署長

12:00 – 14:00, Wednesday, 9 September 2015 
The Sherwood Taipei, Yuan Ming Room (3F) / 台北西華飯店3樓 元明廳
111 Min Sheng E. Road, Sec 3, Taipei / 台北市民生東路三段111號  MAP

Taiwan has been rocked by a number of food and product safety problems in recent years. What have Taiwan authorities done since the problems? What plans are in place to improve health and safety? Are they in line with international problems and practices and how will retail and cosmetics industries be affected? Our guest speaker will provide an update on Taiwan's progress towards adopting an internationally-aligned regulatory system governing food and cosmetics in Taiwan.

While strict regulations and penalties for infringements are necessary, there is a concern that regulatory overreach and excessive management and compliance procedures will place an impossible burden on both the industry and government agencies responsible for compliance. The trick is to strike the right balance that safeguards health and safety without disrupting trade. In the European system it is the primary responsibility of business operators to import, produce and place only safe products on the market, identify potential hazards, withdraw non-compliant products and inform consumers if there are any problems. The role of authorities is to put rules and sanctions in place and monitor and verify their implementation. A crucial feature of the European system is self-regulation on the part of industry and post-market surveillance by government agencies.

There are positive signs that Taiwan is moving towards adopting features of the European system by setting up a Food Safety Office, improving information and communications through a "food cloud" and promoting effective food certification and traceability systems based on international standards and practices. However, authorities have not yet endorsed a shift towards post-market surveillance.
 
Among other topics, our speaker will talk about:

• The future direction of management regulations for food and cosmetics.
• Harmonization of food and cosmetics regulations with European and international standards and practices.
• The scope for industry self-regulation.
• Post-market surveillance in the food and cosmetics industries.

About the speaker
Chiang Yu-Mei is the Director-General of the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) under the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Before assuming her current position at the TFDA, she was the Deputy Director-General and Acting Director-General of the TFDA. Prior to joining TFDA, She has held several positions in health administration at the Department of Health, Taipei City Government, as Chief Secretary, Senior Technical Specialist, Division Chief, and Section Chief. She has also been a lecturer at Taipei Medical University. DG Chiang received her bachelor's degree and master's degree in pharmacy from Taipei Medical University and worked as a pharmacist at Taipei City Hospital - Heping Branch.

NT$1,300 for members; NT$1,900 for members' guest(s)

To cancel without penalty, written cancellations must be received 24 hours prior to the event.
Contact: Jill Fong/ Tel 2740-0236 ext. 225 / jill.fong@ecct.com.tw / www.ecct.com.tw