Although he admitted that the results are not the most satisfactory, he maintained that they are acceptable.

Legislators from both the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) and the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) expressed disapproval during a session at the Legislative Yuan to the government's decision to allow the entry of U.S. bone-in beef, ground beef, some offal and processed beef from cattle younger than 30 months and that have not been contaminated with "specific risk materials" from Nov. 10.

Yaung said he was disappointed that Taiwan was not able to secure its entire defense line that would have seen its market open only to bone-in beef from cattle younger than 30 months, even though the U.S. wanted all beef and beef products to be allowed access to the Taiwan market.

The two sides managed to reach consensus on the issue in June, agreeing that further talks should be resumed based on a South Korean formula, he added.

The DOH announced Oct. 23 that Taiwan would expand market access for U.S. beef after officials of the two countries clinched a protocol the previous day in Washington, D.C. to lift a partial ban on such imports.

"All negotiations involve concession," he pointed out.

KMT Legislator Lin Hung-chih said Yaung should step down to take political responsibility for the new market-opening measures.

DPP Legislator Huang Sue-ying said the Taiwanese negotiators, led by DOH Vice Minister Hsiao Mei-ling, fought a losing battle, pointing out that when Taiwan agreed in 2006 to open its doors to U.S.

boneless beef, it had attached the proviso that should a single case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, occur in the United States, Taiwan would immediately shut its doors to U.S.

beef imports.

This time around, however, Taiwan made concessions that in addition to bone-in beef, it will also allow imports of ground beef, intestines, brains, spinal cords and processed beef from cattle younger than 30 months that have not been contaminated with "specific risk materials." In addition, she went on, under the terms of the new accord, Taiwan cannot stop importing U.S. beef and beef products even if BSE is reported in America unless the World Organization for Animal Health declares the United States an affected area.

DPP Legislator Wang Hsin-nan said President Ma Ying-jeou and National Security Council Secretary-General Su Chi should be held accountable, accusing them of interfering with the decision-making process.

Meanwhile, Council of Agriculture (COA) Minister Chen Wu-hsiung said at another legislative hearing that he and his family would eat U.S.-imported beef and beef products, but would not exhort the public to consume it.

KMT Legislator Lu Shiow-yen questioned Chen as to how the government will be able to screen the safety of offal if Taiwan traders apply to import brains, skulls, eyes and spinal cords as there are technical difficulties involved. "Japan has barred imports of such offal on the grounds that there are technical difficulties in screening their safety," Lu added.

In response, Chen said the COA "will make every effort to keep such offal at bay." He declined to elaborate.

(By Chen Li-ting, Yang Su-min and Deborah Kuo)