Survey finds major lack of trust in food labels
2013/12/30 21:50:49
Taipei, Dec. 30 (CNA) Nearly 80 percent of Taiwanese do not trust ingredient labels on food items and a similar majority has little trust in the government's management of food safety, a survey by a news magazine has found.
The survey by Global Views Monthly found that 78.7 percent of respondents said they do not trust the government's ability to manage food safety, compared with only 15.1 percent who said they have faith in the authorities.
The survey, conducted between Dec. 3 and 6, was based on 1,026 valid samples from people over 20 years old. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
The results reflect several food scandals that have hit Taiwan over the past year, including the use of a toxic starch in food products, the adulteration of edible oils, and mixing cheap imported rice with local rice.
These scandals have seriously damaged public trust in food manufacturers and confidence in the government's ability to regulate them, the monthly said.
It urged the government to regain the public's trust by demonstrating its will to push through tougher regulations on food safety.
(By Lung Jui-yun and Lilian Wu)
