臺灣食品安全事件的省思：從危機處理提升至風險管理

Food safety is a global issue concerning the public health, the national economy, and social security. In Taiwan, several food scandals, such as melamine milk from China, Plastic unfantastic and adulterated cooking oil, have not only forced the government to reorganize the Department of Health but also made the public pay close attention to food safety in recent years. Risk analysis is a structured approach to assessing food safety risks, and its principles have been developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) since the 1980s. The risk analysis framework consists of three interactive processes, including risk assessment, risk management and risk communication, which are based on science, making decisions and including interested parties, respectively. To protect the health and safety of domestic consumers, developed countries have performed risk analysis in their food control systems. Therefore, the government of Taiwan decided to start food safety risk analysis and amended the Act Governing Food Sanitation in 2013. Hopefully, consumers in Taiwan can expect protection from hazards occurring along the entire food chain by programs of risk management and not have to panic over food crises in the future.