Chung Hsing Oil Case: Chiang Wan-an Calls for Comprehensive Inspection of All Upstream Suppliers

Taipei, Jul. 7 (CNA) Regarding the contamination of Chung Hsing's soybean salad oil with excessive carcinogens, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an stated today that the central government should comprehensively inspect all upstream oil suppliers. Otherwise, public confidence cannot be restored. He also called for the establishment of third-party verification, traceability, and early warning mechanisms to resolve the issue at its source.

In response to the excessive carcinogens found in Chung Hsing's soybean salad oil, the Taipei City Government had, as of last night, announced a cumulative total of 19 downstream businesses affected. In terms of school food safety, six catering service providers were found to have used the problematic oil, impacting 50 schools.

Speaking at a city government meeting today, Chiang Wan-an said that in addition to continuing inspections and the precautionary removal of affected products from shelves, he has proposed four points to the central government: "Immediately release the list and establish a dedicated zone," "Comprehensive investigation of upstream sources," "Clarify the case details in the shortest possible time," and "Rebuild the source management mechanism." He welcomed the adoption of the first point.

Chiang Wan-an further stated that the most important thing now is not to target only the oil production and supply companies that have issues this time, but to comprehensively inspect the upstream sources and suppliers of all other oil products. Otherwise, public confidence cannot be restored, and people will be afraid to eat out, which will severely damage Taiwan's economy.

He said that last week he had already instructed the Department of Health to launch a "Special Oil Inspection Project" and also urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Ministry of Health and Welfare that they cannot solely rely on businesses' self-reporting. A more comprehensive third-party verification, traceability, and early warning mechanism should be established to resolve food safety risks and problems at the source.

Chiang Wan-an also questioned that many people believe this incident is a repeat of the "gutter oil incident," indicating that the government's source management mechanism for oil products over the past decade has not kept up with public expectations. He also pointed out that the FDA received notification at the end of June, but President Lai Ching-te and Premier Cho Jung-tai only came forward to explain to the public two days ago, a full week later, which is a disservice to the public's trust in the central government and their demands for food safety.

In addition, regarding the FDA's requirement for the precautionary removal from shelves of "original oil products" and processed products where the problematic oil exceeds 20%, Chiang Wan-an previously gave an example that the proportion of oil in instant noodle seasoning packets decreases after brewing. Therefore, he reiterated his call today for the central government to clearly define the standards for processed products with 20% carcinogenic oil content to avoid differing interpretations; and to establish a national food safety reporting platform to ensure real-time synchronization of information between the central and local governments. (Editor: Lung Po-an) 1150707)

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