1.媒體來源:
http://www.naturalnews.com/
2.完整新聞標題:
Taiwan has banned GMOs in school lunches; when will America protect its
children and do the same?
3.完整新聞內文:
（內文有林淑芬跟吳思華）
NaturalNews) A recent move by the Taiwanese government serves to illustrate
just how far behind the rest of the world we are when it comes to the issues
of food safety and GMOs.
In December, lawmakers in Taiwan passed an amendment to the School Health Act
that effectively prohibits both raw GM ingredients and processed foods that
contain GMOs. It will apply to the food stands and cafeterias in every type
of school throughout the country, from elementary schools all the way up
through high school. (RELATED: Read more news about GMOs at GMO.news)
The ban on GMOs will begin as early as next semester, and it will cost just
15 cents (USD) per meal more than the current offerings – a small price to
pay for the health of a child.
In the Taiwanese diet, soy is a major ingredient, and it is widely featured
in school lunches there. In fact, Agri-View reports that the country consumes
in excess of 8 million bushels of soybeans, 7.2 million of which are GMO
soybeans coming from the United States.
The Taiwanese Democratic Progressive Party advocated for the bill’s passage.
The group’s Lin Shu-fen pointed out that due to their toxic pesticide
residue, these crops are unsuitable for feeding young children because it
will negatively impact their psychological and physical health.
The country’s minister of education, Wu Se-hwa, takes this sentiment one
step further, encouraging schools to place an emphasis on using produce and
ingredients that are grown locally.
Taiwan takes a dim view of GMOs
Taiwan has long been proactive in protecting its population from the dangers
of GMOs. Two years ago, they passed the Food Act Amendments that control the
sale of bioengineered food products. This requires that all foods with more
than 3 percent GMOs bear a label warning of their GMO content. Meanwhile,
foods without GMOs can don a GMO-free label. Those that have already begun
promoting their GMO-free status have noted skyrocketing sales. Non-GMO
soybean imports in the country grew by 300 percent in 2015 alone.
In addition, GMO ingredients must be registered with the Taiwanese
government, and food companies that use such foods must set up a tracking
system to trace their origins. Strict fines were put in place for violating
the food safety provisions; the fine is roughly equal to $1.5 million, making
it a true deterrent rather than mere lip service.
U.S. legal limits much more relaxed than other developed nations
In the U.S., the maximum level of glyphosate residue that is legally allowed
is 30 ppm. This is 300 times higher than Taiwan’s limit. In fact, it’s
higher than many developed countries. Japan and the EU have set a limit of 20
ppm, Canada’s limit is 15 ppm and Australia only allows 0.1 ppm. Why is our
nation willing to look the other way as these companies continue to poison
our population? The industry’s influence on regulatory agencies is a huge
factor in this lax approach. Unfortunately, the FDA is also unwilling to take
action against artificial additives and heavy metals. Many of the
preservatives permitted in our food have been banned by the EU. Our children
and our entire nation deserve better than this.
When will the U.S. get on board and join other nations in cracking down on
GMOs? Our track record until now is pretty shameful. Monsanto’s influence on
the government is far-reaching, and hardly any politicians have been willing
to go on the record and state that GMOs are putting people’s health in
danger.
When Donald Trump takes office we could be closer than ever to making real
progress on this front as he is unlikely to be bought off by Monsanto. He has
already announced plans to take on Big Pharma and take aim at vaccines, and
one can only hope that GMOs are also on his to-do list.
Until then, parents must continue to be vigilant when it comes to the sources
and contents of the lunches that schools are serving their children. For
many, this means packing their own lunches, which is the best way to ensure
kids are eating food that is not only GMO-free but also healthy and
nutritious.
4.完整新聞連結 (或短網址):
http://tinyurl.com/hx2vvs
5.備註:
http://www.appledaily.com.tw/realtimenews/article/new/20151214/752580/
【更新】立院三讀 基改食品禁入校園