Taiwan campaigners seek better pig handling

According to Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan director Chen Yu-min more than NT$2 billion (US$65 million) has been spent on the implementation of quality certification marks for pork products since 1981, but swine are still treated inhumanely before, during and after slaughter.

The government has established various certification systems, such as Certified Agricultural Standards (CAS) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), that ensure the quality of pork and assure consumers of acceptable slaughter practices, Chen told a press conference, however, most pigs were still conscious when they were slaughtered, breaching the government's guidelines that pigs be electrically stunned prior to their death.

Chen argued that certification labels, such as the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) or Taiwan Fresh Pork (TFP) are not equal to certifications of origins.

"Out of the 5,800 park resellers in Taiwan, only 300 of them have obtained the TFP certification label," she stressed. TFP certification promoting refrigerated meat stalls has been in place since 1998.

Related Website
• Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan  Taiwanese

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