The Environmental Protection Administration has been encouraging the public to reduce its incense use, drawing the ire of incense manufacturers. They say, most of the shoddy incense products are imported from China, but the government is doing nothing about them while sullying the reputation of domestic producers. They also say, the EPA should establish standards for imported incense and only allow them to enter the country if they pass these customs inspections.


Worshippers hold incense in their hands as they pray to deities. Two years ago, the Environmental Protection Administration launched a campaign to encourage a reduction in incense and paper money burning to improve the air quality. Several major temples complied with the policy, while others in central and southern Taiwan expressed their outrage. Domestic incense manufacturers are also upset with the government. They said the EPA wants to cut down on incense use, but is doing nothing to ensure the quality of imported incense, which is really unfair to domestic manufacturers.

The incense products that are imported are made using the shoddiest materials available locally. The media also keeps reporting on how incense harms the body, which I think is an injustice.

They have used some shoddy data to ruin the reputation of the incense products that Taiwan's producers have painstakingly manufactured. This is really unfair to our industry.

The Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection has set national standards on the heavy metals and other substances found in incense. However, no compulsory inspections are required for either imported incense or domestically-made incense. Imports account for 70 percent of the domestic market. In 2017, China supplied 73.99 percent of imports, the highest proportion. In second place was Vietnam, with 17.63 percent. Local manufacturers say the government should establish standards for imported incense, and only allow them to enter the country if they pass customs inspections.

We hope manufacturers can set their own standards. Those incense products that meet standards can have labels to distinguish them from foreign incense products.

The EPA convened local producers for a meeting, and recommended that they use "self-regulation" and voluntarily submit their products for testing and authentication. Those whose products pass the tests will receive credentials or quality product labels to differentiate them from imported products for consumers to choose from.



信眾透過手中的香炷，向神明傳達意念。不過，環保署為了降低空氣汙染，兩年前推動減香減爐，當時有知名的宮廟響應，但也有中南部宮廟極力反彈，國內的製香業者則不滿政府，宣導減香卻沒對進口香品把關，對國內業者相當不公平。

國內製香業者 邱建都表示：「進口的進來香品，就是用當地最劣質的粉下去做，一直在說香對人體有害，這種負面的報導，我覺得也是很冤枉。」

國內製香業者 謝博全表示：「以一些劣質的數據，來把台灣同業辛辛苦苦，所製造出來的香品，全部把它汙名化，那對我們的業者相當不公平。」


其實經濟部標檢局對香品當中的重金屬等物質，訂有國家標準規範，但不論是進口還是國內製造，都無須強制檢驗。由於進口香佔國內市場七成，中國佔比最高，有73.99%，其次是越南，占17.63%，因此國內業者建議，進口香在海關抽驗合格後，才能放行。

環保署管核處科長 李奇樺表示：「（環保署)希望說業者，可以自己訂規範，那符合規範的香品，可以有個標示做識別，這樣子就可以跟國外的香品，來做區隔。」

環保署召集業者開會，建議還是由業者「自主管理」，採自願性加入產品的檢驗、認證，合格者就能獲得證書或標章，就能跟進口香做出區隔，由消費者自行選擇。