Lawmaker calls for certification system for vegetarian food

很高興林鴻池委員幫素食者請命，建議衛生署研擬素食國家標準與認證的新聞也上了國際媒體！
從這邊可以看出國際社會對於台灣的素食發展是相當重視的，這也表示我們的確可以將素食文化，當做台灣在國際社會上的一個推廣重點。
樹立『台灣是素食者的天堂、素食的專業，要找素食來台灣，要學素食就來台灣取經...』等等的印象。尤其當國際社會一致認為素食是最快、最好、最簡便可以降低地球暖化的方法，國際知名人士也大聲疾呼勸大家少吃肉，遏止地球持續暖化的時候。我們正應該當仁不讓的提出「我們就是擁抱素食的國家！」、「我們有數百萬追求環保飲食的素食者！」。這無形中也可以提升台灣在國際社會上的知名度與地位。

這個想法與施行的方案，在3/7拜訪林委員的時候，也有簡單的交換一下意見。我認為並不難，也很容易達成，如果基金會短期內成立，就可以交由基金會運作，如果時程太久，素易也可以自行完成。
無論如何，這都是我們素易走出去的第一步，再過來，下個月我們還有更精彩的活動呢！也歡迎大家一起來參與！

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Lawmaker calls for certification system for vegetarian food
By Angelica Oung
STAFF REPORTER
Thursday, Mar 13, 2008, Page 2
"Many medicines and capsules also contain gelatin made from animal sources. Those should also be labeled honestly."
Lin Hong-chi, KMT legislator
A certification should be developed for vegetarian foods to ensure consumers can trust labeling on packages, a legislator said yesterday at a meeting of the legislature's Sanitation, Environment, Social Welfare and Labor Committee.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Hong-chi (林鴻池) said it was difficult for vegetarians to be sure that products they chose at markets and supermarkets are free of meat. He called for a system to regulate and label products for various types of vegetarianism and religious diets.
The government should be more vigilant in ensuring that companies are not mislabeling foods and medicines that contain animal products and vegetables that are not allowed in certain religious diets.
While Department of Health Minister Hou Sheng-mao (侯勝茂) responded positively to Lin's proposal, he said it there would have to be consultations with the Council of Agriculture and the Ministry of Economic Affairs to assess the feasibility of such a certification program before moving head with the idea.
Lin, a vegetarian, told the committee that the rights of the nation's approximately 2 million vegetarians were not adequately protected.
"There are a lot of black-hearted vegetarian foods out there," Lin said. "Not enough attention is paid to the issue, meaning that vegetarians' rights are not being protected."
The Chinese term `black-hearted' refers to products that are subpar but appear acceptable.
As in the West, vegetarians in Taiwan do not all follow the same dietary rules.
There are many kinds of vegetarians, Lin said. Some eat milk and eggs, while others are strict vegans. Many Buddhist vegetarians also do not eat garlic, spring onions or onions.
But many products claim only to be "vegetarian," without clearly indicating which standard they follow or what kind of seasoning and vegetables they contain. This makes it difficult, for example, for vegetarians who do not eat certain vegetables to confirm that a product is safe for them to eat.
"Many medicines and capsules also contain gelatin made from animal sources," Lin said. "Those should also be labeled honestly."
Lin suggested that a certification scheme similar to the system in place for organic foods should be implemented.
Source: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2008/03/13/2003405275