Nanchiao Fined 3 Million for Whistleblowing on Toxic Oil; Engineer Criticizes Government: The Party Solves the Person Who Raises the Issue, Not the Problem

The carcinogenic oil scandal involving Zhonglian Oils continues to escalate. Health and Welfare Minister Shih Chong-liang recently announced a record-breaking fine of 165.2 million NTD against Zhonglian, the highest penalty in Taiwan's history. However, Nanchiao Oil & Fat, the first company to detect and report the contaminated oil, was also fined 3 million NTD, drawing widespread criticism over whether the government is penalizing those who raise safety concerns.

Shih stated that Nanchiao was the first to identify the超标 issue with test results available as early as May 13, but failed to report it until June 30—after Zhonglian had notified authorities—constituting a serious delay. As a result, all downstream companies including Fushou, Taishan, and Zhonglian are being held accountable.

In response, the online forum 'Engineer Sees Politics' questioned this rationale. Nanchiao conducted independent testing and honestly reported findings upstream, which ultimately led to the public discovery of the toxic oil. As a downstream manufacturer not responsible for producing the contaminated oil, penalizing Nanchiao sends a dangerous message: companies should avoid self-inspection, refrain from reporting contamination, and abandon food safety ethics.

'If you don’t test, there’s no problem—should we just stop all testing nationwide and let fate decide?' the post sarcastically asked. 'Is the party focused on solving the problem, or eliminating those who expose it?'

The post further criticized the Health Ministry for failing to immediately recall secondary products or disclose manufacturer names, allowing carcinogenic oil to circulate for an entire week. This inaction, it argued, bears greater responsibility than Nanchiao’s reporting delay.

Shih’s inconsistent messaging—first claiming products with less than 20% contamination didn’t require recall, then reversing to mandate recalls regardless of ratio—was also condemned. With no scientific basis for the 20% threshold, the post questioned who demonstrated more integrity and conscience: Nanchiao or the Health Ministry.

'Is the Health Ministry only interested in blaming others and collecting fines?' the post charged. 'When not under public scrutiny, it does nothing.' It criticized Premier Cho Jung-tai for being absent and President Lai Ching-te for remaining silent for seven days before issuing meaningless statements—echoing the DPP’s 2013 accusation of a 'completely collapsed food safety firewall, bureaucratic indifference, and bureaucratic killing.'

Applying the same standard, the post demanded the resignation of the president, premier, and health minister.

Related reports: • Convenience store rice rolls and hot pot ingredients contaminated! List of carcinogenic oil products revealed—netizen compiles top 10 popular items: 'I ate these almost daily' • Did Zhonglian conceal the alert? Nanchiao warned of超标 in April—former DOH director raises 4 red flags: How could three major manufacturers all miss it? • 1,300 tons of carcinogenic oil—90% already consumed? Top vegetable farmer exposes '3-month blind spot' and demands two officials resign