Carcinogenic Oil Scandal Widens! Military Rations Affected – Ministry of Defense: 104 Barrels Purchased, 56 Already Used

The carcinogenic oil scandal involving Zhonglian is expanding further. Yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a detailed list of 232 affected products, including cooking oils, salad dressings, seasoning sauces, baking fillings, ready-to-eat meals, and flavoring sauces. Beyond major convenience store chains, the military has also been affected. On August 8, the Ministry of Defense announced that, following an internal review, it had purchased a total of 104 barrels of the contaminated oil. After a full recall, 56 barrels had already been used, while 48 unused barrels remain, distributed across northern and southern Taiwan. No purchases were made in central Taiwan or outlying islands.

Kuomintang legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin questioned during an inquiry whether the military had been impacted by the Zhonglian carcinogenic oil. The Ministry of Defense had issued a brief response on July 4, stating: first, on July 2, it instructed the Subsistence Supply Center to remove affected products from shelves and conduct testing; second, all military units have ceased using the products. Currently, cooking oil for military rations is procured through centralized contracts managed by the Subsistence Supply Center, then distributed via logistics hubs in northern, central, and southern Taiwan. Hsu asked how many oil brands are currently under contract and what volume of contaminated oil was involved.

Lieutenant General Lee Feng-hsiang, Deputy Chief of the Logistics Staff Department at the Ministry of Defense, responded that the Subsistence Supply Center carries 29 oil products. After cross-checking product names and batch numbers, one item—Fushou sesame oil—was confirmed as contaminated. A total of 104 barrels were purchased. Following a full recall, 56 barrels had already been used, with 48 remaining unused.

Hsu further asked whether the distribution of these oil products had been investigated—whether they were spread across all military bases or concentrated in specific units. Lee stated that the investigation found the oil was only procured by supply centers in northern and southern Taiwan, with no deliveries to central Taiwan or outlying islands. A total of 29 mess units purchased the oil, with five units in the north. All products listed by the FDA were immediately removed from shelves, and batch numbers were later verified.

Hsu also asked whether compensation would be sought from the supplier. Minister of Defense Ku Li-hsiung stated that the ministry would review relevant regulations and contractual terms for senior officers. Additionally, the welfare department has processed returns. On July 1, in coordination with the FDA, all related products were removed from shelves. Service members and their families who purchased the products can apply for refunds or exchanges.

Hsu questioned why the welfare department was not affected by the 20% oil product rule, which was only announced yesterday. Ku explained that on July 1, the initial action focused solely on oil products, with subsequent actions following FDA guidelines. Military officials added that none of the 232 items listed by the FDA yesterday were procured by the welfare department.