FDA: Problematic Salad Oil to be Removed by Noon Tomorrow, or Face Fines Up to NT$3 Million

(Central News Agency, reporter Shen Pei-yao, Taipei, 2nd) The carcinogenic substance "benzopyrene" in the raw material of Chung Lien Oil's soybean salad oil exceeded the limit, and the product flowed to three companies: Fwusow, Formosa Oils & Fats, and President Enterprise. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today demanded that the companies notify hypermarkets, supermarkets, and other distributors to complete the product recall by noon tomorrow, otherwise they could face fines of up to NT$3 million.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare's FDA urges the public to suspend consumption of affected products announced by the companies and to return them according to the companies' procedures.

The FDA received a report from Chung Lien Oil Co., Ltd. on the 1st, stating that a batch of soybean salad oil raw material, approximately 1,300 metric tons, supplied to Fwusow Industry Co., Ltd., Formosa Oils & Fats, and President Enterprise, was found to have a "benzopyrene" content exceeding the regulatory limit.

Initially, 15 affected products were announced. Today, this number was updated to 18 products across 21 batches. Major hypermarkets, supermarkets, and convenience stores have been progressively removing related products from shelves and offering returns.

Tsai Shu-chen, deputy director-general of the FDA, told reporters in a phone interview this evening that the Taichung City Department of Health and the Changhua County Public Health Bureau have been instructed to require the four companies to notify their distributors to remove affected items from shelves by noon tomorrow (July 3rd).

Tsai Shu-chen stated that failure to complete the product removal within the deadline could result in a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$3 million for violating relevant provisions of the "Food Safety and Sanitation Management Act."

Benzopyrene is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The Taichung City Department of Health previously explained that "benzopyrene" is a type of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon commonly found in high-temperature oil processing, posing potential health risks. If companies are subsequently found to have evaded, concealed, or failed to report as required, they will face fines ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$3 million. (Editor: Yang Sheng-ru) 1150702

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