Chung Hsing Oil Benzo[a]pyrene Over-Limit Case: Experts Urge Return to Food Safety Law and Enhanced Communication

(Central News Agency, Reporter Shen Pei-yao, Taipei, July 4) Regarding the Chung Hsing Oil product's benzo[a]pyrene over-limit case, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that the second-tier products pose a low risk and will not be subject to a full recall. Relevant professional groups today called on the government to return to the Food Safety Law's regulations and address the communication gap highlighted by this salad oil incident.

The case involves Chung Hsing's "Soybean Salad Oil" exceeding the limit for the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene, with 1,300 metric tons flowing to three major brands: Tai Shan, Fu Shou, and Fu Mao. When explaining the latest progress yesterday, the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Food and Drug Administration stated that the entire case falls under the "Principles for Handling Food Violations - Product Recall, Recovery, Sealing, and Destruction Tiers," specifically Category 8, "Violation of Hygiene Standards," and that only the first-tier products are subject to recall and recovery measures.

Regarding benzo[a]pyrene, a substance that may be produced during the manufacturing process, FDA Director-General Chiang Chih-kang stated that if approved additives, naturally occurring chemical substances during processing, or toxic and harmful substances are detected, according to the discussions and approval of the Food Risk Assessment Advisory Committee, the second-tier products will be assessed for safety and will not be subject to a full recall.

However, relevant professional groups clearly do not accept the FDA's explanation. Practicing food technologist Liu Chung-han told the media today that benzo[a]pyrene has a certain toxicity, which is why a limit standard of 2.0 μg/kg was established. This standard is derived from toxicity conversion and has legal basis, not set arbitrarily.

Liu Chung-han said that since the enforcement line is set at 2.0 μg/kg, the government should revert to the main provisions of the Food Safety and Sanitation Management Act, which prohibits toxic or harmful raw materials from entering the food production chain from source, storage, to transportation, rather than solely relying on the "hygiene standards" in administrative rules to determine the final concentration.

He believes that only adhering to the final concentration bottom line may allow unscrupulous businesses to exploit loopholes. In this case, benzo[a]pyrene was barely detected in the raw materials, but the finished soybean oil product detected 1.6 μg/kg, and another sample tested as high as 8.1 μg/kg. In practice, there may be discrepancies between retained samples and the batches sent for testing.

Regarding the phenomenon of a four-fold difference in concentration between the previous and subsequent tests, Liu Chung-han frankly stated that even though μg/kg is a trace unit, legally "illegal is illegal." The excuse of long-term dietary intake dosage in toxicology should not be used to conceal the facts of unknown raw material sources or non-compliant manufacturing processes.

Tsai Ping-chien, a council member of the Taipei Society of Public Health Professionals, said that food safety governance involves not only risk management but also risk communication responsibilities. The government should face the communication gap highlighted by this salad oil incident, continuously strengthen information disclosure and risk communication mechanisms to ensure that food safety policies are scientific, transparent, and gain public trust.

The Society of Public Health Professionals proposed three recommendations: establish a "tiered risk disclosure" mechanism to disclose information on raw material sources, violations, and flow of goods based on risk levels; clearly distinguish responsibilities for risk management and risk communication systems, and strengthen the standardization and timeliness of information dissemination; and enhance the transparency of food safety decision-making processes to make judgments on whether to recall subject to public review and traceability. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150704

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