TFDA: 5 More Tea Oil Factories Found with Excess Benzo[a]pyrene, Affecting 4 Counties and Cities

(Reporter Shen Pei-Yao, Taipei, April 4) One more tea oil factory was added to the list of problematic factories. The TFDA announced today that tea oil products from five oil factories were found to exceed the standard for benzo[a]pyrene. The affected factories include Lianjing, Yuan Chun, Nong Qishi, Dechang, and Yuan Fa, spanning New Taipei City, Chiayi County and City, and Tainan City. The TFDA will continue to cooperate with local authorities.

The TFDA today disclosed that it received a self-report from Nong Qishi Biotechnology Company last night, stating that its produced Donghua Technology Research Tea Oil was found to exceed the standard for benzo[a]pyrene. The TFDA, together with the New Taipei City Health Bureau, conducted an on-site inspection and removed and sealed the unsold products.

The New Taipei City Health Bureau's press release stated that Nong Qishi Company self-reported that its produced Donghua Technology Research Tea Oil (expiration date: June 1, 2028) was found to contain 6.4 ppb of benzo[a]pyrene (standard: 2.0 ppb). The company has proactively notified downstream businesses to recall the related products.

The TFDA late at night pointed out through text messages that currently, five oil factories are involved, with their products found to exceed the standard for the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene. These include Lianjing (New Taipei City), Yuan Chun (Chiayi County), Nong Qishi (New Taipei City), Dechang (Tainan City), and Yuan Fa (Chiayi City).

Among them, Yuan Chun is a contract manufacturer for multiple companies, including Yongfongyu, Weijia, Tingmao, International Function, and Gongbei Cooperative Farm. It is suspected to be related to Chinese raw materials. The TFDA sampled and tested the on-site inventory of tea oil products, which are self-produced with raw materials from China, and the results were qualified.

Wei Ren-Ting, the director of the TFDA Southern Management Center, earlier explained in a media phone interview that in the second half of this year, the TFDA will not only continue to implement the edible oil product inspection project but also plans to expand the related inspections, which will be launched soon. Tea oil will be one of the key guidance targets.