TAIPEI: Up to 62 percent of outlet stores in Taipei City do not label their bulk foods according to relevant regulations, the Consumers' Foundation reported yesterday, based on spot checks.

Under the revisions to the Food Sanitation and Management Law that took effect January 1, store operators must ensure that information on the labels of bulk foods is complete and accurate and that the product name and place of origin are listed, the foundation said.

Violators could face fines ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$150,000, or NT$40,000 to NT$200,000, depending on the seriousness of the offense. Operators were given a grace period of 10 days after the January 1 date to comply with the revisions.

The foundation recently carried out a series of spot checks at 21 outlets on the labeling of bulk foods and found that 12 of the stores failed to list their products' place of origin.

The bulk items it checked include fresh, dried and preserved foods as well as cooked snacks and sweets.

These stores included major hypermarkets such as Carrefour Tazhi store, Far Eastern Geant Tazhi store, RT-Mart Chunglun outlet and Pxmart Tunnan outlet, according to Consumers' Foundation Chairman Hsieh Tien-jen.

The Sungching Supermarket Xinyi store was the only one that was in compliance with the labeling regulations on place of origin, although one of its products from Chile was mistakenly labeled as imported from Australia/New Zealand, Hsieh said.

Hsieh said the foundation will advise the authorities to fine the supermarket NT$40,000 to NT$200,000 for that mistake, as it had misinformed consumers.

He also indicated that fresh vegetables, fruit, meat and processed food sold at Sogo Supermarket Chungxiao store and at an outlet of Jason's Market Place on Chengde Road were all properly labeled.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 01/22/2010 page2)