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A $6 million fine for touching food: Taiwan's 'street food kingdom' gets major crackdown

Published: 05 Jun. 2025, 19:45

A street vendor in Taipei, Taiwan [EPA/YONHAP]

Taiwan, widely known as a “street food kingdom,” has introduced new regulations that could impose fines of up to 200 million New Taiwan dollars ($6.7 million) on street vendors who touch food after handling money.

The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) announced that the public notice period for the revised guidelines for food hygiene practices, first proposed in January last year, ended on Wednesday and that the rules have now officially taken effect, Taiwanese media outlets including United Daily News reported Thursday.

The TFDA said that the complete revision would strengthen the food industry’s regulation of its own hygiene practices. The revised guidelines prohibit food handlers from touching money or other potentially contaminated items while preparing or cooking food.

Violators will be issued a corrective order under the food safety and sanitation act, and if they fail to comply, they could be fined up to 200 million New Taiwan dollars.

Authorities said the measure aims to prevent cross-contamination, which is a concern especially among one-person street stalls that sell items like fish-shaped pastries or egg cakes while handling both food and money simultaneously.

The revised guidelines expand the scope of regulation to include not just food manufacturers but also night market vendors, snack stalls, and delivery riders. All new workers — including part-time staff — must now complete at least three hours of initial training and 3 hours of annual refresher training. Delivery drivers were included in the regulation after cases surfaced of them repackaging food that had fallen to the ground during deliveries.

The guidelines also include whistle-blower protections. Individuals who report violations to health authorities may receive 2 percent to 5 percent of the imposed fine as a reward, along with an additional 4 million New Taiwan dollars in compensation if the report is confirmed to be true.

Taiwanese media noted that there are roughly 125,000 street vendors across the island and pointed out that solo-run stalls may struggle to comply with the stricter rules.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]