Carcinogen Levels Exceed Limits in Soybean Salad Oil Ingredient; Three Major Brands Urgently Recalled

(CNA, Taipei, July 1) Three major brands of salad oil are in trouble. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today that it received a report from the oil producer Chung Lien Oil, stating that a batch of soybean salad oil supplied to Taishan, Fu-Shou, and Formosa Oils, voluntarily tested positive for excessive levels of the carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene. A total of 15 product items are affected and are being recalled. The public is urged to stop consuming affected products as listed by the manufacturers.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a press release this evening, explaining that it received a voluntary report from Chung Lien Oil Co., Ltd. on the evening of June 30, and another report on the evening of July 1. Approximately 1,300 metric tons of soybean salad oil from this batch were found to contain 8.1 μg/kg of benzo(a)pyrene during self-testing, exceeding Taiwan's regulatory limit of 2.0 μg/kg under the "Hygienic Standards for Contaminants and Toxins in Food."

The FDA pointed out that this batch of soybean salad oil was supplied to Taishan Enterprise Co., Ltd., Fu-Shou Oil Enterprise Co., Ltd., and Formosa Oils & Fats Co., Ltd.

Shu Chao-kai, head of the FDA's Food Safety Department, told reporters in a joint interview that FDA officials, accompanied by the Taichung City Department of Food and Drug Safety, inspected Chung Lien, Formosa Oils, and Fu-Shou this morning. The soybean salad oil products (batch number: 315-1150404) found to have excessive benzo(a)pyrene levels were actually shipped on April 8, 9, and 10, with approximately 588 metric tons going to Formosa Oils, about 421 metric tons to Fu-Shou, and about 291 metric tons to Taishan.

Shu Chao-kai stated that after receiving notification from Chung Lien, all three companies have initiated recall procedures. Health authorities will continue to supervise and track the progress of the product recalls and will ask Chung Lien to review its production process.

The FDA urges the public to stop consuming affected products as announced by the manufacturers and to return them according to the companies' announced procedures.

Benzo(a)pyrene is a type of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), a substance generated during food processing or from environmental pollution. It is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO). (Editor: Yang Sheng-ru) 1150701

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