Introduction

The government has to shoulder the responsibility given by the people. However, the government and the people are in different position, so we should learn to think rationally before abusing the government's policy. Criticism won't improve the situation, but action will. Therefore, we interviewed the vice commissioner of Food and Drug Administration to understand the difficulties that the government is facing. Surprisingly, after listening to her aspirations, we made a big difference in our original thoughts that to change is insignificant.

Food and Drug Administration plays an important role in Taiwan. In terms of food safety, it is like a gatekeeper who investigates and seizes those black-hearted manufacturers. In terms of medical treatment, it provides a perfect health care system for everyone. Ministry of Health and Welfare is the highest responsible agency for public health, medical treatment, and welfare in Taiwan, and the vice commissioner we interviewed is also the forefront worker in many events.

Meeting highlights

• Solution of Food Safety in Taiwan

  H: What is the biggest problem of Taiwan's food safety?

  V: The government values medical treatment much more than food safety. Moreover, there are too many things that need to be checked on the food chain. If we set a high standard for everything, the costs will increase, which may affect many people and vendors. However, we can't just neglect food safety for this reason. Therefore, how to balance food safety and costs may be the biggest problem in Taiwan.

  H: Can the current standard be more strict? For instance, the acid value of "rendered pork project fat" consults 0.3mg or 0.2mg KOH/g fat set by China and Japan, not 1.3mg KOH/g fat set by UN.

  V: Health care system is to take care of everyone's health, but strict standard may affect many manufacturers due to the high costs. It's still necessary to consider most vendors' feelings.

  H: What do you think about adding test items (e.g. Acrylamide), which makes the detection more complete?

  V: We found out that many oil producers neutralize or dilute the toxic in the oil by chemical methods. If we add a test item without thorough considerations, it will just take more money and time from the government.

  H: Can increasing irregularly on-site inspections reduce the possibility of producers adding illegal substances in the oil?

  V: Some manufacturers send each other news secretly, so it's hard to find those black-hearted producers. What we can do is to collect more rumors and spend more time and manpower, for example, making a snap check at midnight.

  H: Can raising the penalties effectively regulate the manufacturers?

  V: Of course it can't! Many manufacturers are willing to take the risk for the profit, so we think it will be more helpful if we raise the report bonus and provide more rumors for the government. However, it would be the best if every manufacturer can manage themselves well.

• Feedback for our project

  H: Do you have any other advice or opinion for us?

  V: Taiwan rarely has the opportunity to join those international health organizations, so we don't have INFOSAN or medical exchange with other countries. It is teenagers that can change this situation. Fulfill your dream with passion and make the world see Taiwan.

  H: Do you think it's possible to apply our product to the society after listening to our team's report?

  V: Using this kind of biological detector is quick and convenient. Providing a first-line detection, it can also offer the government some clues to trace back, which saves much time and increases investigating efficiency. It is exactly what the government needs now, but you have to be careful not to become the attack target of the industry.

  The vice commissioner thinks our project can help the government indeed. First-line detection provides useful informations for government to investigate and seize those black-hearted manufacturers more quickly and easier. The system not only remains the costs and keeps the culture of night markets in Taiwan, but also ensures everyone's right. She's glad to see teenagers like us work hard for our country, and she also encourages us to stand on the international stage, to show our passion to change!

  By interviewing the vice commissioner, we understand the government has difficulties in policy execution. From the perspective of the government, we found out that it's not easy to make checks at all levels of food safety. If we set a stricter standard, many vendors probably can't survive. But if not, there will be lots of doubt about health. We shouldn't just criticize when taking views of a matter. The people and the government are in the different position, so we should learn to think rationally before we talk. From the experience this time, we start to use different perspectives to judge things and take action instead of comment.