Taipei, Jan. 3 (CNA) Taiwanese restaurants and hotel chains said they are under pressure to raise prices to reflect the expected higher cost of locally-produced pork amid health concerns about a new policy allowing pork imports containing a controversial livestock drug that came into effect on Jan. 1.
However, there are also concerns that passing on price increases could scare away potential customers.
The comments were made in the wake of the central government lifting a ban on imported U.S. pork containing ractopamine, which took effect Friday.
Several major restaurant chains in Taiwan, such as Wowprime Corp. (王品), TTFB Restaurant Group (瓦城), Hi-Lai foods (漢來美食), 8 Way Dumplings (八方雲集), and Tofu Restaurant Group (豆府), as well as Silks Hotel Group (晶華集團), LDC Hotels & Resorts Group (雲朗觀光集團), said they now use only ractopamine-free pork produced in Taiwan or from ractopmaine-free countries.
For example, 8 Way Dumplings, which operates 1,000 restaurants across Taiwan, said it only uses Taiwanese pork in its restaurants in central and southern Taiwan.
Its northern branches use mainly locally-produced pork but have imported a "small amount" of raptopamine-free pork from Denmark, according to the chain.
Meanwhile, Wowprime Corp., which operates 21 restaurant brands with a total of 280 stores across the country, said most of its pork is from Taiwan, though it has also imported some from Denmark and lard from Japan.
TTFB Restaurant Group said none of its restaurants use U.S. pork products and clearly label the source country of pork in accordance with government rules.
However, several restaurant and hotel chain operators said they may be forced to raise prices soon as many vendors of Taiwanese pork are planning to raise prices following the new policy which is expected to boost demand for locally-produced pork.
A restaurant chain operator told CNA, on condition of anonymity, that although most imported pork does not contain ractopamine, almost all restaurants believe the only way to convince customers of the safety of their products is to use only Taiwanese pork.
This will lead to significantly higher domestic pork prices and increase the costs of restaurants. However, they are reluctant to increase prices as that will impact their businesses, the operator said. "We are caught in a dilemma."
Another senior manager at a restaurant chain told CNA that despite the central government's latest policy, many local governments continue to ban ractopmaine.
The manager who also spoke anonymously, called on the central government to come up with a single standard nationwide on the use of ractopmaine so that restaurant operators have clear guidelines to follow.
The new policy was announced after President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Aug. 28 said her administration would set maximum residue levels (MRL) for ractopamine in pork to allow imports from the U.S., starting Jan. 1, 2021 in an apparent effort to clear the way for a trade deal with the U.S.
Ractopamine, a highly controversial veterinary drug that makes animals leaner before slaughter, is banned for use in the European Union and China because of concerns over its safety to both animals and humans.
The U.S. allows ractopamine use and has criticized Taiwan's zero-tolerance policy for ractopamine in pigs as an impediment to trade.
Since Tsai's announcement, a number of local governments have said they will continue to adhere to local food safety regulations that ban ractopamine in pork, even after the new policy takes effect.
However, the Cabinet has said local government bans contravene the central government's authority and therefore have no validity.
The Link LonkJanuary 03, 2021 at 01:48PM
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Restaurants face price hike dilemma due to new pork import rule - Focus Taiwan News Channel
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