TFDA Reveals Latest Investigation Results on Chung Lian Oils! Top 10 Amendments to the Food Safety Act Exposed

The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) today (20th) released the batch-by-batch inspection results for oils produced by Chung Lian Oils between April and June 2026. Out of a total of 30 batches, five had already been confirmed as non-compliant, and one batch was exported with no sample available. The remaining 24 batches were included in the inspection.

Following the principle of 'source separation, item-by-item verification, and upstream-downstream cross-checking,' TFDA discovered two additional batches of Chung Lian oils that failed inspection at the crude oil stage. All non-compliant end products were traced back to these two batches of crude oil, confirming a total of seven non-compliant oil batches produced by Chung Lian during this period.

TFDA stated that upon learning of benzopyrene—a Group 1 carcinogen—exceeding safety limits in Chung Lian oils, it launched a comprehensive investigation on July 9, sampling and testing all oil batches produced from April to June, excluding the five already confirmed as non-compliant and the one exported batch without a sample. The remaining 24 batches underwent full inspection.

Among the 24 inspected batches, three had not yet been shipped and all met safety standards. The other 21 shipped batches were subject to upstream and downstream testing. TFDA tested 53 crude oil samples and 171 end-product samples, totaling 224 samples, with all testing completed by July 19.

At the crude oil stage: 4 out of 53 samples failed, all belonging to Chung Lian batch numbers '313-1150408' and '315-1150413'.

At the end-product stage: 5 out of 171 samples failed, and all non-compliant products were made using the two aforementioned batches of crude oil.

Thus, this investigation confirms that Chung Lian Oils had seven batches of oil products that failed safety standards.

TFDA emphasized that this batch-by-batch inspection covered both upstream crude oil and downstream end products. By cross-referencing test results and product distribution data, the affected product scope was precisely identified, providing a basis for subsequent risk management and enforcement actions.

To thoroughly investigate the root causes, TFDA has commissioned the Food Industry Research Institute to establish an 'Independent Investigation Team for the Chung Lian Oils Incident.' The team, comprising experts in food science, food technology, and law, will enter the Chung Lian plant on July 21 for a one-week on-site investigation. Guided by principles of scientific evidence, impartiality, and transparency, the team will comprehensively review Chung Lian’s manufacturing and quality management processes. The findings will be released promptly.

TFDA has conducted a comprehensive review of the food safety management system and proposed amendments to the Food Safety and Hygiene Management Act and related regulations, centered on five core directions: strengthening source management, manufacturing process control, abnormality reporting, quality management, and digital governance.

The ten key proposed amendments are:

1. Mandate increased self-inspection frequency for high-risk food manufacturers. 2. Require certain food manufacturers with in-house laboratories to obtain certification from the central competent authority. 3. Establish management and reporting obligations for laboratories. 4. Introduce a third-party verification agency sampling and reporting mechanism. 5. Implement a risk-based inspection mechanism for local authorities to conduct regular or ad hoc audits of food businesses. 6. Strengthen manufacturers’ obligations to report abnormalities and increase maximum penalties for delayed, concealed, or false reporting. 7. Expand traceability requirements for high-risk manufacturers. 8. Introduce asset preservation mechanisms for penalty enforcement to prevent offenders from hiding, transferring assets, or evading penalties. 9. Authorize the central government to establish a command center to coordinate responses to major food safety incidents. 10. Clarify principles for product recalls, preventive withdrawals, and re-listing after compliance.

TFDA will consolidate lessons from this incident, incorporate broad stakeholder input, and submit the draft amendments to the Executive Yuan for discussion this week.