Taichung mayor Jason Hu has assured Singaporeans that food products from Taiwan are safe for consumption.

Mr Hu, who was in Singapore on Monday to promote his city's food industry, said this in reference to the recent food scare in Taiwan earlier this year. In May, traces of maleic acid were found in starch products such as bubble tea tapioca pearls.

He added that pastries, coffee and tea imported from Taichung in Taiwan have been approved by both the Taiwan Peace Diet HACCP and the Agri-food Veterinary Authority of Singapore. Speaking at a press conference at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, he acknowledged that many have lost confidence in Taiwan's food safety and asked for stricter controls.

"The stricter the regulations the better," said Mr Hu in Mandarin. The event to promote Taichung products included food from 20 different Taichung-based food companies, as well as a show case of the longest pop-up book in the world featuring Taichung's scenery and food. Visitors included travel agents and food industry representatives from both Taiwan and Singapore.