Taipei: Premier Cho Jung-tai told the Legislature on Tuesday that sprouted potatoes from the United States will "never" make their way into Taiwan's market.

According to Focus Taiwan, Cho's comments came after the Ministry of Agriculture published updated regulations on Feb. 6, allowing the import of U.S. potatoes with limited amounts of mold and sprouts under 5 millimeters. Under the new rules, part of the Taiwan-U.S. Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART), potatoes with sprouts over 5 mm or that are rotten or moldy above the allowable limit must be discarded immediately. Potatoes with sprouts under 5 mm, or that are rotten or moldy within allowable limits must undergo "extra" processing at processing facilities.

At a legislative hearing on Tuesday, opposition Kuomintang Legislator Yang Chiung-ying expressed concerns that the new regulations effectively moved inspections of U.S.-imported potatoes from customs to processing facilities. She highlighted worries from NGOs and parents about the potential risk of solanine poisoning related to mashed potatoes, French fries, and chips, questioning whether "extra" measures meant sprouted potatoes would be processed after the sprout is removed.

In response, Cho assured that imports are initially screened before leaving the U.S. to remove any sprouted or defective potatoes. He stated that if potatoes are found to have sprouted during shipment, spot checks will be conducted on potatoes in the same container, and the entire container would be returned if excessive amounts of solanine are detected. "If poison is found in additional forensic testing, the whole container will be returned, so it's impossible that it will be made into chips or fries," Cho emphasized.

Cho further assured that once rotten, moldy, or sprouted potatoes are detected, they will be discarded and not processed. He emphasized that food safety and public health, along with national and industrial benefits, are key considerations in the ongoing trade negotiations with the U.S., and would not be compromised.

Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih clarified that U.S. potatoes would not be screened at processing facilities but at other "designated locations." He explained, "It will still be part of border control, because they will be sealed in containers, with officials escorting the goods and supervising the inspections."

Health Minister Shih Chung-liang also stated that the potatoes "will stay at the customs before inspection is completed, and they will not circulate to processing facilities."