If it were not for the locked doors, knives chained to the table and uniformed staff, the food factory inside Taoyuan women\u2019s prison would resemble any commercial kitchen.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Inmates wearing masks and hair nets mix cocoa powder to make chocolate, or chop cabbage to marinate for kimchi.<\/p>\n
They are part of a burgeoning food industry in Taiwan \u2014 artisan snacks, made behind bars.<\/p>\n
The additive-free delicacies made by prison inmates have gained a loyal public following, and generate hundreds of millions of dollars each year.<\/p>\n
Demand is driven by quality and affordability after a string of food safety scandals has made Taiwan consumers extra vigilant.<\/p>\n
Last year sales revenue reached more than Tw$500 million ($15.62 million), with money going towards victim compensation, improvement of facilities and a wage for inmates.<\/p>\n
Some prisoners, like 39-year-old Chen, had little culinary experience before joining the production line in Taoyuan, in the north of the island.<\/p>\n
The prison rolls out a wide range of snacks, from sweets to fermented tofu.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m happy to learn some useful skills,\u201d Chen told AFP.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know how to use a kitchen knife properly before as my mother always cooked for me and I didn\u2019t need to go into the kitchen.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve learnt that it looks simple to make food, but it\u2019s actually quite complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inmates near release or parole can apply for the programme and are prioritised. Long-term prisoners who are judged to have behaved well or have relevant experience can also apply.<\/p>\n
The range of jail-made food bought from prisons across Taiwan includes local favourites such as pineapple cake and peanut brittle, as well as soy sauce and free-range chicken.<\/p>\n
What started in 2006 as a smaller programme designed to teach inmates practical skills and raise funds for prison facilities has now been rolled out to all of Taiwan\u2019s adult jails.<\/p>\n
More than 50 prisons make around 300 types of product which can be ordered by the public by phone, online or by fax, or bought direct from prison offices.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe use good ingredients and we do not use additives or over-process food to make profits,\u201d said Chiu Hung-chi, deputy chief of the Agency of Corrections.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur foods are natural, high quality and inexpensive,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
It is a winning sales pitch to a public wary after big-name companies were found to have adulterated their products with banned chemicals or recycled \u201cgutter oil\u201d to lower costs, which led to massive recalls of food items in recent years.<\/p>\n
Shoppers at a food fair in central Taichung city organised by the agency were quick to vouch for made-in-prison food.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been buying food made by inmates regularly for more than a year. They are organic, good quality and relatively cheap. I also rally my friends to place orders together,\u201d said businesswoman Wang Lung-feng, who drove nearly two hours from southern Tainan city to the fair, which lasted four days and drew thousands of visitors.<\/p>\n
Wang spent over Tw$10,000 on noodles, chicken, soy sauce and snacks.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the programme is very meaningful. The inmates are learning some skills that can help them find work and readjust to society,\u201d she told AFP.<\/p>\n
Inmates earn an average monthly \u201clabour allowance\u201d of around Tw$2,000-3,000. Some responsible for top-selling items, such as soy sauce made in a prison in southern Pingtung county, can make 10 times the average pay during peak holiday seasons, according to Chiu.<\/p>\n
Besides producing their own brand of food, some prisons make soaps and handicraft, or take orders from local factories to manufacture garments, paper bags and accessories.<\/p>\n
Inmate Chen said she hopes to launch her own small food business after her release.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mother loves to cook and she cooks well. She said as long as I am not afraid of hard work she will work with me to start our small food business.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope to combine my mother\u2019s cooking with what I\u2019ve learnt to create better food.\u201d\u2014AFP<\/p>\n
Image: Alamy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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