Chapter 1 General Principles
Article 1
The purpose of this Act is to improve the quality and safety of agricultural products and protect the health of citizens and the rights of consumers.
Article 2
The term “competent authority” used in this Act is the Council of Agriculture of the Executive Yuan at the central level; and the municipal/county/city governments at the local level.
Article 3
The terms used in this Act is defined as follows:
1. Agricultural products: Any product which is produced or processed as food by utilizing natural resources, agricultural materials and technology, including cultivation, forestry, aquaculture, and animal husbandry or any product promulgated by the central competent authority.
2. Operator: Any individual or entity who engages in the production, processing, packaging, distribution or sale of agricultural products.
3. Certified agricultural products: Agricultural products certified in accordance with this Act.
4. Agricultural product certification mark: The mark used to indicate the agricultural product is certified in accordance with this Act.
5. Labeling: Words, graphics, symbols or additional instruction affixed to agricultural products, the containers or packaging thereof.
6. Accreditation body: An institution or legal entity which is reviewed and approved by the central competent authority to be qualified for conducting accreditation activities established by this Act.
7. Accreditation: The process which the accreditation body undertakes to evaluate the competence of an institution, school or legal entity to provide certification services established by this Act under a contract in private law.
8. Certification body: An institution, school or legal entity which is accredited by the accreditation body to provide certification services.
9. Certification: The process which the certification body undertakes to assure that the production, processing, packaging or distribution of a specific agricultural product complies with the requirements specified in this Act under a contract in private law with the respective operator.
10. QR code of agricultural products: Any agricultural product produced by using domestic materials, processed and packaged domestically, and its traceability information is recorded in the database or system owned by the central competent authority.
11. Advertisement: Words, symbols, sounds, graphics, images or other methods used to promote, propagandize or sell agricultural products.