Contaminated Oil Spreads Across Taiwan; FDA Launches Full Inspection of 4 Factories Including Chung Lien

(CNA reporter Shen Pei-yao, Taipei, July 8) Oil contaminated with carcinogens has spread across Taiwan, affecting 360 businesses and over 400 products, ranging from staple foods to desserts and sauces. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced an expanded inspection tonight, initiating comprehensive on-site checks and sampling at four oil factories: Chung Lien, Formosa Fats and Oils, Fu-Shou, and Taishan.

Yesterday, another batch of oil was found to contain 2.5ppb of benzo[a]pyrene, exceeding the limit of 2.0ppb. Tsai Shu-chen, deputy director-general of the FDA, stated in a media briefing this evening that the Changhua County Public Health Bureau reported the problematic product as "Taishan Good Cooking Blended Oil 0.6L" (Expiration Date: July 25, 2027). A total of 642 cases entered the market and were voluntarily removed from shelves by July 3rd. It is no longer sold in the market, and as destruction procedures have been initiated according to law, it is difficult to accurately count the number of individual bottles recovered.

To prevent other risky oils from circulating in the market, Tsai Shu-chen announced that the FDA is immediately launching a comprehensive inspection. The FDA will conduct on-site inspections and sampling at the four edible oil factories involved in this case, including Chung Lien, Formosa Fats and Oils, Fu-Shou, and Taishan. This is to urge businesses to implement compliant raw material acceptance for each batch, control the manufacturing process, and confirm the quality of each finished product, ensuring that products comply with food safety and hygiene regulations to protect consumer safety.

This food safety crisis began on June 30th when the FDA received a report from Chung Lien Oil Corporation that a batch of soybean salad oil was found to have excessive levels of the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene. A total of 1,300 metric tons were supplied to Taishan Enterprise Co., Ltd., Fu-Shou Industrial Co., Ltd., and Formosa Fats and Oils Co., Ltd.

What initially appeared to be a voluntary inspection and proactive report by the business later revealed that Chung Lien and four downstream major manufacturers (including Namchow) had all delayed their notifications. The number of affected businesses reached 360, impacting well-known restaurants, convenience stores, and even schools. As of today, 401 products have been preemptively removed from shelves.

Although the Ministry of Health and Welfare has fined Chung Lien NT$165.2 million under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, the highest fine ever imposed by the central government, Namchow, Fu-Shou, Taishan, and others were fined by local health bureaus according to law. However, the contaminated oil scandal continues to escalate. (Editor: Huang Ming-hsi) 0708115

Stand with facts, your every donation is a force to protect press freedom

Download the CNA "One-Stop News" APP to get the latest news in real-time

Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, broadcast, publicly transmitted, or used without authorization.