Who Let the Toxic Oil Slip Through? Wen Lang-dong Points to 3 Suspicions in Taichung City Government, Deputy Mayor Responds!

After Chung Lian Oils erupted in a toxic oil scandal, responsibility for inspection oversight has drawn public attention. Media figure Wen Lang-dong raised several questions today (20th) regarding Taichung City Government's inspection procedures, sparking a heated exchange with Deputy Mayor Cheng Chao-hsin on social media. Wen accused the city government of leniency in inspection lists and reports, while Cheng personally rebutted, emphasizing that all inspection lists were based on central government directives and calling Wen's claims a 'false leak.'

What specific allegations did Wen Lang-dong make?

Wen pointed out on Facebook today that during Taichung's May 2025 inspection of 13 manufacturers, Chung Lian Oils Group was skipped, despite the factory having gone 795 days without testing for benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). He further noted that in January 2025, when the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Food and Drug Administration launched an 'Oil Special Project' requiring local cooperation, Taichung uniquely excluded Chung Lian—one of Taiwan's two major soybean processors. In contrast, Fushou went 810 days and Fumao 832 days without testing, but Chung Lian, despite being tested for heavy metals 795 days ago, was not tested for benzo(a)pyrene.

Wen also highlighted that Chung Lian's gross profit increased by 21.25% over the past three years, questioning whether the city government had been too lenient in inspections. He added that Taichung's food safety portal hides inspection reports, claiming the public must 'inspect the webpage's source code' to find download links, suggesting information concealment.

Cheng Chao-hsin fires back on toxic oil controversy, citing central inspection list

In response to accusations of leniency, Cheng also fired back on Facebook. He clarified that Chung Lian was indeed inspected in 2024, and the 2025 joint central-local inspection list was fully designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Food and Drug Administration, which did not include Chung Lian Oils.

Regarding inspection procedures, Cheng emphasized that local authorities send samples to the FDA for testing, and the data they publish comes directly from the FDA's conclusions. He argued that Wen misunderstood the entire process, calling it a 'false leak.'

Where do both sides differ on the 2024 report?

The disagreement centers on the April 26, 2024 inspection report. Cheng claims the sample was sent by local authorities to the FDA and passed. Wen counters that the inspection agency listed on the report is clearly the 'Taichung City Food and Drug Safety Office.'

Today, Taichung City Government explained that according to the FDA's test report, the batch passed benzo(a)pyrene testing, which is why polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (including BaP) were not logged on the website. However, Wen posted again at noon, stating he reviewed the report written by Mayor Lu's office, where the inspection agency is indeed the Taichung City Food and Drug Safety Office, and benzo(a)pyrene was not among the tested items.

Beyond the personal clash, Democratic Progressive Party Taichung City Council caucus leader Chou Yung-hung and others held a press conference, questioning why, despite the city claiming to have inspected 88,000 food items last year, Chung Lian Oils was not among them. Multiple councilors urged Mayor Lu Hsiu-yen to return to governance and explain how the city will handle the tainted oil issue, rather than using the May 25 'March on Kai Dao Against Toxic Oil' event for political purposes.