Companies have been punished for disseminating disease-awareness information. In Taiwan, as in the rest of the world with the lone exceptions of the United States and New Zealand, pharmaceutical companies are prohibited from advertising prescription drugs directly to consumers. The main rationale for that approach is the belief that decisions on what drug to prescribe…

Should dishwashing detergent be governed by the food safety law? Should marketing surveys for cosmetics require approval by an independent review board? Through the annual Taiwan White Paper and other channels, AmCham Taipei has sought to call attention to laws and regulations that, while well-intended, have the inadvertent consequence of impairing Taiwan’s economic competitiveness and…

The upcoming TIFA meeting is seen as a good chance to show commitment to liberalization. This year’s AmCham Taipei Doorknock delegation to Washington D.C. found itself in the U.S. capital during a momentous week that included two historic Supreme Court decisions (upholding “Obamacare” and legalizing single-sex marriages nationwide) and – more germane to the Chamber’s…

The proposed approach to regulating meal replacement foods would create some serious problems. Meal replacement formula foods and beverages are used most commonly by dieters looking to shed some weight. The product is intended to be only a partial replacement for conventional meals – not the sole contributor to one’s daily intake. Since the purpose…

Food companies find it hard to comply with a rule on the listing of ingredients.   In the food industry lexicon, a “carry-over” is a substance – either a food ingredient or a food additive – that is present in a food product only because it is a subcomponent of another ingredient. The carry-over performs no…