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Our stance on labeling of rice vermicelli products remains unchanged but more explanations will be provided

  • Data Source:Ministry of Health and Welfare
  • Created:2014-07-01
  • Last Updated:2017-02-03

Regarding the issue of whether products not containing 100% rice can be labeled as rice vermicelli, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Ministry of Health and Welfare held a press conference on July 1 to provide explanations and directions for suppliers to follow. The principle that requires the names of packaged rice vermicelli products on the market to conform to the Regulations Governing the Labeling of Packaged Rice Vermicelli Products on the Market remains unchanged. Nevertheless, in addition to the product name, suppliers may use the phrase “rice vermicelli”, such as Hsinchu Rice Vermicelli, Puli Rice Vermicelli, Fenyuan Rice Vermicelli, and Xiluo Rice Vermicelli, for a product originating in the local area or made using a specific process with historical significance, provided that the name of the food product conforms to the provisions of the Regulations Governing the Labeling of Packaged Rice Vermicelli Products on the Market, a clear label is attached to the front of the external packaging, and the font size of the product name is bigger than that of the phrase. 

For instance: 
1. A product containing 50% or more rice may carry the phrase “rice vermicelli”, but its product name should conform to the provisions of the Regulations Governing the Labeling of Packaged Rice Vermicelli Products on the Market, a clear label should be attached to the front of the external packaging, and the font size of the product name should be bigger than that of the phrase. One of the examples is XX mixed rice vermicelli. 

2. A product containing less than 50% rice must not be named pure rice vermicelli, rice vermicelli or mixed rice vermicelli. Suppliers should come up with a name that is appropriate to the nature of the product, such as ○○ steamed vermicelli and ○○ boiled vermicelli. If suppliers would like to add a phrase besides the product name, the font size of the product name should be bigger than that of the phrase. It is also recommended to indicate the rice content in order to provide consumers with complete information. 

3. Products containing 0% rice are not governed by the Regulations Governing the Labeling of Packaged Rice Vermicelli Products on the Market and must not be labeled as rice vermicelli or carry a phrase with a similar meaning. 
The FDA stated that suppliers may browse the Q&A on the Regulations Governing the Labeling of Packaged Rice Vermicelli Products on the Market on its website (http://www.fda.gov.tw), and that they should comply with the Regulations Governing the Labeling of Packaged Rice Vermicelli Products on the Market, in order to provide consumers with sufficient and accurate information.