Six five-star hotels fined for food safety violations: TFDA

Taipei, Sept. 30 (CNA) Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) has fined six five-star hotels a total of NT$466,000 (US$14,615) for food safety and hygiene violations, the administration said Wednesday.

The fines followed inspections of restaurants at 48 international tourist and five-star hotels to see if they were complying with food safety regulations related to training personnel, storing food items, and meeting hygienic principles, according to a TFDA statement.

Of the six hotels fined, one failed to make improvements by an established deadline after being cited for violations of good hygienic practice (GHP) principles, two violated food labeling rules, and three stored expired food products, the statement said.

The inspections also found violations involving the qualifications and training of food safety personnel, with three hotels fined for failing to employ qualified professionals.

One hotel failed to ensure that certified technicians completed required food sanitation and safety training, while another failed to ensure that professional staff completed Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) training, the TFDA said.

The Evergreen Plaza Hotel (Tainan) received the largest fine, NT$220,000, for five violations covering all of the above categories except for the failure to complete HACCP training, according to the TFDA.

The Emperor Hotel in Taipei and Janfushan Resort Hotel in Yunlin County were fined for storing expired food, while the Miramar Garden Taipei and Nice Prince Hotel in Chiayi City were fined for failing to employ qualified professionals.

Hotel Cham Cham Tainan was fined for food labeling violations and for failing to ensure that professional staff completed HACCP training, the TFDA said.

Liu Fang-ming (劉芳銘), director of the TFDA's Northern Taiwan Management Center, said Wednesday that international tourist hotels and five-star hotels are required to have at least one restaurant that implements HACCP principles.

The latest inspections covered food business registration, compliance with GHP and HACCP principles, food labeling, product liability insurance, expired food products and the qualifications and training of food safety personnel, Liu said.