1 Questionnaires of Equivalence Information of Food Safety System  in 
Meat and Poultry products for applying import to Taiwan  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Please note prior to answer the questionnaire  
 
 
The purpose of this questionnaire is to obtain the general information about  the food safety 
system in meat and poultry products including their further processed products in the 
exporting  country  (territory) . This information will be used to evaluate the food safety 
system in the exporting  country  (territory) . 
 
 
Please provide al l the answers to the full extent if possible. Answers should be written in 
English or Chinese. Copies and electronic files of map s, tables and figures are preferred 
under the applicable questions.  Please answer each question thoroughly in English or 
Chines e.  2  
1. Laws and Regulations  
 
1.1 What laws and regulations address the control of food safety and  prevention of 
environmental contamination of meat and poultry products? Please provide the materials 
in English or Chinese.  
 
1.2 What laws and regulations manda te that the m eat and poultry  establishments be 
responsible for the food safety? Please describe the requirements in details.   3 2. Program Organization  
 
2.1 For each of the products under this application, please describe the current system to 
control food s afety of meat and poultry products including  further processed meat and 
poultry products.  
 
2.1.1  What governmental agencies enforce the relevant laws and regulations?  Please 
include organization charts for each of these agencies.  
 
2.1.2  What is the functi onal relationship among these government al agen cies at the 
national, provincial, or local levels?  How do these  agencies/authorities cooperate 
and work together?  
 
2.1.3  In the field and at headquarters, how many persons are assigned to the  meat and 
poultry products  inspection program?  List the separate areas of responsibility  
and denote the number of persons in each area.  
 
2.2 For each of the products under this application, please describe the current system to 
prevent meat and poultry products including  further processed meat and poultry 
products  from environmental contamination and pollution . 
 
2.2.1  What government  agencies enforce the relevant laws and regulations?  Please 
include organization charts for each of these agencies.  
 
2.2.2  What is the functio nal relationship among these government al agencies at the 
national, provincial, or local levels?  How do these agencies/authorities cooperate 
and work together?  
 
2.2.3  What is the functional relationship among the food safety and environmental 
protection a gencies/authorities? How do these agencies/authorities cooperate and 
work together to monitor and prevent food from environmental contamination and 
pollution . 
 
2.3 Does the meat and poultry inspection agency/authority also responsible for other  
inspection program? (For example , fish ery products , game meat products , non -meat 
food products  and feed manufacture ). 
  4 3. Government al Control Program  
 
3.1 Please describe  meat and poultry products including  further processed meat products  
inspection programs at the  national, provincial, or local levels.   Is there any official 
control program for export establishme nts? 
 
3.1.1  Please indicate what products are covered under each inspection  program?   These 
products might be cut - up, sausage, ham, semi -dry, canned, comp osite products 
containing meat and poultry material or others?  
 
3.1.2  What are the funding sources of these inspection programs?  
 
3.1.3  What establishments, under these programs, export meat and poultry products to 
countries other than Taiwan?  
 
3.1.4  What other non -government inspection programs are in place?   
 
3.1.5  What are the enforcement frequencies of the government and non -government 
inspection programs?  
 
3.1.6  What are the training requirements for supervisors and supervisory personnel?  
 
3.2 Please d escribe the official  control programs of the food additives , irradiation, 
packaging materials, detergents and sanitizing agen ts and etc. 
 
3.2.1  What are the relevant laws and regulation?  
 
3.2.2  What are the laws and regulations relating to testing, approva l, and control  the 
uses of these materials ? 
 
3.2.3  What are the procedures, inspection activity or criteria to determine these 
materials  which will not cause product deterioration and comply with the 
applicable laws and regulations?  
 
3.2.4  What is the proc edure to approve these materials  to be a legal food additives or 
food contact material?  
 
3.2.5  How do es the agency ensure or verify  that further processed meat and poultry  5 establishments only use legal food additives , irradiation, packaging materials, 
detergents and sanitizing agen ts. 
 
3.3 Please describe the  official control activities to  review the ingredients  and methods of 
preparation  for further processed meat and poultry products , especially for canned food.  
 
3.3.1  What are the relevant regulations, r equirement  or guidelines  to regulate  the 
production of the further processed meat and poultry products.  
 
3.3.2  What governmental agencies or organization review the processed product 
ingredients  and processing?  What is the functional relationship among t hese 
agencies?  
 
3.3.3  What is the procedure to review the thermal and other processing process , 
especially for canned food?  
 
3.3.4  What documentation formally states that a thermal or other processing schedule is 
reviewed , especially for canned food?  
 
3.3.5  What controls are in place for low -acid canned food and/or other products?  
 
3.3.6 What agencies audit the processing process of the establishments?  
 
3.3.7   How do the agencies verify the compliance of the food additive used at the 
establishments ? 
 
3.4 Please describe the HACCP  inspection  system in your country  (territory) . 
 
3.4.1 How does the government inspection system describe and specify that a HACCP 
system whereby meat and poultry establishments  must conduct hazard analysis, 
determine critical con trol point, establish control limit, conduct monitoring, 
establish corrective action, maintain documents, records  and verify the 
effectiveness of the HACCP system?   
 
3.4.2 How is this  inspection  system established in the government’s requisite laws and 
regulation  and what are these regulations ? 
 
3.4.3 Hoe does the government inspection system verify the effectiveness of process  6 control designed to ensure food safety?   
 
3.4.4 How does the government verify the effectiveness of the inspection system?  
 
3.4.5  What enforcement actions that government regulatory agency would take, as 
required; including suspension, corrective action request, follow -up inspection and, 
in the case of falsification of records, criminal prosecution?  
 
3.5 What regulations, directives or guidelines require establishments or export 
establishments to control rec all, destroy or reprocess product, raw material, food 
additives or other materials that are not fit for human consumption?  
 
3.6 What procedures are in place to certify a cceptable p roducts for export?  
What procedures do you follow to re -certify previously non -compliant products for 
export?  
 
3.7 Please describe the official  management  on food operating businesses ? 
 
3.7.1 What  regulations, directives or guidelines  require the meat and poultry  operating 
businesses  need to registered ? Which agencies  manage the registered ? What 
activities will be taken by which agencies  to audit and verify the correct ness of the 
registrations?  
 
3.7.2 What  regulations, directives or guidelines  require the m eat and poultry  operating 
businesses  to set up traceability system ? What activities will be taken by which 
agencies  to audit and verify the correct ness of the traceability works conducted by 
the food businesses?  
 
3.7.3 What  regulations, directives or guide lines require the meat and poultry  operating 
businesses  to test their raw materials, semi -products and end products? What 
activities will be taken by which agencies  to audit and verify the correct ness of the 
traceability works conducted of the test?  
  7 4. Self- Control Program for Meat and Poultry Products  at Establishment s 
 
 
4.1 What regulations, directive s, or guidelines mandate that the export establishments 
evaluate the sanitary conditions to prevent product  from contamination s? 
 
4.1.1  What  regulations, directives, or guidelines  mandate that the establishments address 
the sanitation standard operation procedures in written?  
 
4.1.2  What regulations, directives, or guidelines mandate that the establishments 
evaluate the sanitary conditions to prevent produc t contaminations?  
 
4.1.3  What regulations, directives, or guidelines mandate that the establishments 
establish cleaning procedure s, including cleaning frequency ? 
 
4.1.4  What regulations, directives, or guidelines mandate that the establishments take 
correc tion actions?  
 
4.2 What regulations, directives, or guidelines address the control and prevention of 
contamination s in constructing ground, building and facility for pr ocessing, personnel 
dormitory, dinning, resting, testing, research, toilet rooms, portab le water supply and 
dressing and locker rooms?  
 
4.3 What regulation s, directives, or guidelines address the control and prevention of 
contamination s of within the facility and utensil cleaning, personal hygiene and waste 
disposal programs?  
 
4.4 What regula tions, directi ves, or guidelines require establishment to perform pr ocessing 
and quality controls? Includ ing the followings.  
 
4.4.1 In-coming materials receiving inspection and control.  
 
4.4.2 Food additives receiving inspection  and control . 
 
4.4.3 Process ing control.  
 
4.4.4 Operation, handling and maint enance of the processing equipment , utensils and 
containers.   8 4.4.5 Effective measures to prevent metal or other foreign materials mixing into 
products.  
 
4.4.6 Control of portable water supply and the corresp ondent records.  
 
4.4.7 If applicable, the controls of processing temperature, humidity, pH, water activity, 
pressure, flow rate and time during processing.  
 
4.4.8 Process and quality records.  
 
4.4.9 Control of packaging, packaging material or recycle of co ntainers.  
 
4.4.10 Pre-shipment control.  
 
4.4.11 Process and quality nonconformity control.  
 
4.4.12 Corrective and preventi ve actions.  
 
4.4.13 Labeling  and traceability . 
 
4.4.14 Others.  
 
4.5 What regulations, directives, or guidelines mandate meat and poult ry establishments 
take responsibility for the inventory and transportation controls?  
 
4.6 What regulations, directives, or guidelines mandate establishments take  responsibility 
for testing and measurement, customer complaints, product recall and record -keeping 
controls?  
 
4.7 Please describe the frequencies to implement the control program listed from 4.1~ 4. 6. 
 
4.8 What regulations, directives, or guidelines mandate low -acid canning establishments 
take control of program listed from 4.1~ 4. 6. 
  9 5. Chemical Residues , Contaminants  and Microbial Control Program s 
 
5.1 Please describe the control progra m of vete rinary drugs and feed additives . 
 
5.1.1 Please describe the chemical residue control program at the national, provincial, 
and/or local levels . Is there an y export program  in place ?  Which agenc ies are  
responsible  for the planning and implement ing for national control program ? 
 
5.1.2 Please list the chemical residues and the maximum residue limits in your chemical 
residue plans and identify the target tissue s or the target sample s (for further 
processed products)  to be analyzed, by species, for each specific residue 
compound s. 
 
5.1.3 Please submit a copy of your annual residue program/ plan/project , which might be 
monitoring, surveillance or other special test ing program/ plan/project in place.  
 
5.1.4 Please describe the design of the residue program/ plan/project  for animals  for 
further processed products  to be tested for residues , including sampling size and 
location . Indicate whether the sampling is based on r andom sampling and /or the 
statistical significance expected of the residue conclusions or whether the 
sampling plan is based on non -statistical design principles.  In both cases, 
indicate the objectives of the residue program/ plan/project.   10  
5.2 Please des cribe the governmental enforcement program for chemical residues and the 
government’s activities to prevent contamination of meat and poultry products  including 
the further processed products  with chemical residues.  
5.2.1  How are test results reported?  Wh at agencies will receive the report when test 
results violate the standards?   
 
5.2.2 What actions are taken when positive or violate  results are determined for 
chemical listed from 5. 2.2.1-5.2.2.5?   In addition to the product recall, destroy 
and other disposition, what other actions will be taken such as personnel prosecute 
or penalty?  
 
5.2.2.1 Drugs permitted for the therapeutic and preventative use in each species of food 
animals.  
 
5.2.2.2 Prohibited substances . 
 
5.2.2.3 Pesticides permitted for use in o r on each species of food animals . 
 
5.2.2.4 Agricultural chemicals permitted for crops used in feed production and in grazing . 
 
5.2.2.5 Environmental or industrial chemicals that are potential contaminants to food 
animals . 
 
5.3 Please provide the organizat ion chart of the agencies responsible for chemical residue 
program /plan/project  and explain the relationship to the meat and poultry products 
inspection program for compound approval, residue program design, sample collection, 
laboratory and enforcement.  
 
5.4 Please identify the regulation, directives and guidelines concerning the chemical 
residues.  
 
 
5.5 Please describe the national microbial monitoring program/ plan/project  for meat and 
poultry products including further processed products in your country  at the national, 
provincial, and/or local levels ? Is there any  export program  in place ?  What agency  is 
responsible  for the planning for national control program and  what agency  is responsible  
for implementation?   11  
5.5.1 What does the microbial monitoring program/ plan/project  work as an effective 
indicator for process control?  How to analyze these data?  
 
5.5.2  Please describe the indicator microorganisms and microbial standards for 
corresponding product category.  
 
5.5.3 Please submit a copy of your annual m onitoring, surveillance or other special 
testing program /plan/project?  
 
5.5.4  What is the statistical basis for the sampling program?  What sample categories 
are covered in these program/ plan/project ? 
 
5.5.5  Please describe the design of the sampling res idue program/ plan/project  for 
product category to be tested.  Indicate whether the sampling plan is based on 
random sampling and the statistical significance expected of the residue 
conclusions or whether the sampling plan is based on non -statistical design 
principles. In both cases, indicate the objectives of the residue 
program/ plan/project.  
 
5.6. How are test results reported?  What agencies will receive the report when test 
results violate the standards?   
5.6.1 What are the corrective actions for the non -compliant incidences from those testing  
and monitoring program/ plan/project ?  
 
5.7 Please provide the organization chart of the agencies responsible for microbial 
monitoring  program/ plan/project  and explain the relationship to the meat and poultry 
products inspection program for program  design, sample collection, laboratory and 
enforcement.  
 
5.8 Please identify the regulation, directives and guidelines concerning the microbial 
monitoring program/ plan/project .  12 6. Laboratory  
 
6.1 Identify the analytical metho ds used for the microorganisms, veterinary drug s, food 
additives or other chemical compounds for meat and poultry products  including further 
processed  products .  Please list the analytical method used in Table 1. 
 
6.2 Please describe the control of the laboratory.  
 
6.2.1  How many laboratories perform the tests? Please explain what the governmental, 
private or other laboratories are and the correspondent tests perform in these 
laboratories.  Please list the private and governmental laboratories performing tes ts 
for these tests for  meat and poultry products  including further processed  products  
in Table 1. 
 
6.3 How do the quality control or quality assurance programs in approved laboratories 
ensure accurate and consistent analyses?  
 
6.3.1 Describe how the govern ment ensures the quality control programs and produce 
accurate results.  
 
 
6.3.2 Explain the process to ens ure that samples and the associated documentation are 
not interchanged.  Please describe the record keeping system.  
 
 
6.3.3. Are these laboratory accr edited? If yes, please provide  the following  in Table 1  
 
6.3.4 Please provide the name of the accred itation body  for the approved laboratories . 
 
6.3.5 What tests were the approved laboratories  accredited for?  
 
 
6.3.6  Does the laboratory participate in prof iciency testing? If yes, please answer the 
following  in Table 1.  
  
 13 Table 1   Please list the governmenta l laborator ies and designated private laboratories performing National monitoring program/plan/projects 
for chemical and microbial tests  for meat and po ultry products  including further processed  products . 
Laboratories  Testing item  Testing 
Method  Does the testing item 
being accredited?  If the testing item is accredited, please  
specify the accreditation body  Does lab participate in the 
PT test for this testing item? 
Veterinary  Drug  
AAA  OTC  LC-MS-MS YES  TFDA  □ Yes 
□ No   
BBB  OTC  LC-MS-MS No N/A □ Yes 
□ No 
      
      
Food Additives  
AAA  Benzoic acid  HPLC  YES  FDA  □ Yes 
□ No 
      
Environmental Contaminants (Heavy metal, Dioxin, PAH, etc)   
AAA  Mercury  ICP-MS YES  FDA  □ Yes 
□ No 
Microorganisms    
 14 Laboratories  Testing item  Testing 
Method  Does the testing item 
being accredited?  If the testing item is accredited, please  
specify the accreditation body  Does lab participate in the 
PT test for this testing item? 
CCC  Staphy lococcus 
aureus FDA  YES  FDA  □ Yes 
□ No 
      
      
(Please prepare a table using this format)   
 15 7. Control of Import and Export   
 
7.1 How to ensure that the non -compliant meat and poultry products  including 
further processed  products  will not be processed , packaged and/or mixed into the 
compliant products  based on Taiwan requirements ? 
 
7.1.1  Is the inspection program in place to assure that the meat and poultry 
establishments will not use , mix or misused the non -complian t products  
based on Taiwan requirements ? 
 
7.1.2 Do the inspectors have access to the applicable establishment records?  
 
7.1.3 How to determine that the products export to Taiwan are compliant 
products? For example, are the boxes labeled as product being ex ported to 
Taiwan or are special barcode used?  
 
7.1.4 How to trace products back to the establishments?  
 
7.1.5 What controls are placed on the movement of products between  warehouses 
or during the transportation for export? What temperature and product 
hand ling requirements apply to assure product integrity?  
 
7.2 What type of import inspection program do you have  to inspect the importing 
meat and poultry products  including further processed  products ? 
 
7.2.1  Please describe your import inspection program, inc luding the assurance of 
food safety and the inspection procedures.  
 
7.2.2  If imported meat or poultry is used to produce further pro cessed products 
exporting to Taiwan, how will the inspector know that the imported meat or 
poultry products  comply with Taiw an food safety and hygiene 
requirements ? 
 
7.3 What actions are taken when deceptive labeling, packaging, invoices and 
documentation are discovered?  
 
7.3.1   What official  authority  is responsible for taking this action?  
  
 16 7.3.2  How do you ensure the accuracy  of packaging, labeling, invoices, and 
export doc umentation?  Please describe the process in detail.  
 
7.3.3  What regulations, policies, guidelines, and other requirements pertain to  the 
labeling and invoicing of products?  Please briefly describe the  inten t of 
each regulation, policy, guideline, and requirement.