Lai Qingde Angry! Orders Strict Legal Action on Zhonglian Toxic Oil Case: No Compromise on Food Safety

Amid escalating controversy over Zhonglian's carcinogenic cooking oil, President Lai Qingde, also chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), stated on the 8th that food safety allows no compromise, urging close cooperation between central and local governments. He outlined four key directives: first, immediate suspension of production where necessary; second, full market withdrawal of affected products; third, proactive implementation of preventive recalls; and fourth, strict legal accountability for companies like Zhonglian that failed to promptly report safety issues to regulators, thereby delaying timely intervention.

Following the DPP's Central Standing Committee meeting on the 8th, spokesperson Lin Chu-ying conveyed President Lai's instructions. Lai noted that according to the Central Weather Bureau, Typhoon Bavi is expected to approach Taiwan this Friday. Regardless of whether the eye makes landfall, Friday and Saturday will see the most severe impacts. The Executive Yuan has directed relevant agencies to complete all typhoon preparedness measures and maintain close coordination with local governments to ensure effective drainage, disaster prevention, and emergency response mechanisms to minimize potential damage.

President Lai called on all party officials and local service teams to fully support government disaster prevention efforts, enhance public communication of weather updates, and urge citizens to prepare their homes for typhoon conditions to safeguard lives and property. He also urged all political candidates to prioritize disaster relief and community support over campaign activities, standing with the people during the crisis. Campaign events should be adjusted or postponed according to local government announcements and actual weather conditions.

Regarding the Zhonglian edible oil incident, Lai reiterated that food safety permits no compromise. Central and local authorities must cooperate to enforce production suspensions, full product recalls, and preventive withdrawals. He criticized Zhonglian and similar companies for failing to immediately notify regulators upon discovering problems, calling it highly inappropriate and a missed opportunity for early resolution. 'Where legal action is warranted, it must be pursued fully and according to law,' he stated. He also urged the DPP caucus in the Legislative Yuan to work with the Executive Yuan on amending the Food Safety Act to further strengthen future food safety protections.

Additional exclusive reports from Feng Media include: Nan Qiao engineer exposed toxic oil early but was fined NT$3 million; critics accuse the party of punishing whistleblowers instead of solving problems. Numerous popular products, including convenience store rice balls and hot pot ingredients, have been found to contain the tainted oil. A doctor analyzing the scandal points to a specific individual as the root cause, saying the outcome now depends on President Lai's response.