Law amended to further prevent adulterated food

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/17
By: Tsai Pei-chi and Lee Mei-yu

Taipei, Dec. 17 (CNA) The Legislature passed an amendment to the Criminal Code Thursday that will authorize the court to confiscate illicit profits gained from sales of adulterated food products.

The revised law gives the court the power to take over the illicit gains of both juridical persons and non-juridical persons.

The move came after the Supreme Court overruled an extraordinary appeal filed by Prosecutor-General Yen Ta-ho (顏大和) to confiscate NT$1.85 billion (US$56 million) from Chang Chi Foodstuff Co. (大統長基), a company responsible for a major tainted oil scandal, citing the current law that stipulates that confiscation of illicit gains can only be carried out on natural persons but not against corporations.

The ruling had triggered widespread controversy in Taiwan, where the public urged the government to get tough on companies that make or sell adulterated food.     [FULL  STORY]