A regulation has been implemented in Taiwan that imposes a fine of up to 200 million New Taiwan dollars (approximately 9.08 billion won) if street vendors touch money before handling food.
According to Taiwanese media such as the United Daily News and the China Times on the 5th, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) will officially implement the revised 'Good Hygiene Practices Guidelines' whose announcement period ended the previous day after being legislative announced in January last year.
The TFDA noted that it has comprehensively revised the guidelines to strengthen hygiene management within the food industry. The revised guidelines stipulate that food industry personnel must not touch money or other potentially contaminated objects while simultaneously or continuously preparing or cooking food. Violating this could lead to a corrective order under the Food Safety and Sanitation Management Act, and if corrections are not made, a fine of up to 200 million New Taiwan dollars may be imposed.
A government official explained that most street vendors selling items like fish-shaped pastries and egg waffles operate as individuals, which raises concerns about 'cross-contamination' due to the exchange of food and money, hence the implementation of these guidelines.
The scope of the revised guidelines has also been expanded to include food manufacturers, night market vendors, snack street vendors, and delivery riders. All new personnel, including full-time and part-time workers, are required to undergo at least 3 hours of training and 3 hours of continuing education annually.
Delivery riders are also included in the regulations because of concerns over cases involving the repackaging of food that has fallen on the ground during delivery.