Taichung Mayor Lu Hsiu-yen召集17 County and City Leaders for 'Anti-Toxic Oil Online National Conference,' Proposes 10 Consensus Points Urging Central Government to Improve Food Safety Systems

The Zhonglian edible oil incident has triggered a nationwide food safety crisis. On Sunday the 19th, Taichung Mayor Lu Hsiu-yen announced she would rally county and city leaders across party lines to hold an 'Anti-Toxic Oil Online National Conference of County and City Mayors' on the 21st. Within a short time, 17 counties and cities responded positively, with nine county and city mayors personally attending.

On the 21st, Mayor Lu chaired the meeting, culminating in 10 consensus points to be submitted to the central government, urging it to swiftly investigate the incident's cause, establish standard operating procedures for major food safety incidents, strengthen source management and traceability, and improve inspection, notification, and compensation mechanisms. The goal is for central and local governments to work together to enhance food safety systems and protect public health.

Mayor Lu stated that most participating counties and cities agreed that major food safety incidents directly impact public health and the supply of essential goods, and thus the central government should, like in natural disasters, immediately establish a central emergency response center. This center would unify information control, decision-making, and public communication, creating an immediate and transparent information disclosure mechanism. This would allow local governments to stay updated in real time and help the public understand the incident's progress, thereby calming public concern.

Additionally, participating counties and cities recommended amending the 'Food Safety and Hygiene Management Act' to include the 'full disclosure, full recall' principle. Any product involving food safety risks should have its distribution information fully disclosed and all related products comprehensively recalled, safeguarding the public's right to know and their health.

Furthermore, due to the current lack of cross-ministerial information integration at the central level, participating counties and cities suggested integrating data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Finance, and other agencies. They proposed building a comprehensive food traceability, early warning, and information integration system. By monitoring the production, sales, and distribution of essential goods during normal times, local governments could quickly verify and recall problematic products during incidents, shortening the circulation time of unsafe items. They also recommended reviewing the current over-reliance on self-management and self-reporting by businesses, establishing a co-management mechanism between government and industry, and strengthening third-party inspection reporting, regular audits, and risk warning systems to comprehensively enhance food safety management capacity.

Mayor Lu noted that several counties and cities also suggested the central government study financial support measures such as financing and tax reductions for downstream businesses affected by major food safety incidents. Additionally, whether the incident originated from raw materials or the manufacturing process remains unclear. If it stems from raw materials, border inspections and source management should be comprehensively strengthened. If it is a manufacturing process issue, standardized procedures and inspection systems should be established to prevent risks at the source.

She emphasized that local governments have long stood on the front lines of food safety incidents, accumulating extensive practical experience. She urged the central government to promptly convene a national food safety summit, inviting central ministries, local governments, industry, academia, and experts to jointly review the system, promote legislative reforms, and drive systemic changes. This would establish a more robust food safety management mechanism, prevent recurring major incidents, and collectively safeguard public health.

A total of 17 county and city leaders or representatives participated in the online national conference and delivered statements, including Taichung Mayor Lu Hsiu-yen, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang, Hsinchu County Magistrate Yang Wen-ke, Hsinchu City Mayor Kao Hung-an, Changhua County Magistrate Wang Huei-mei, Yunlin County Magistrate Chang Li-shan, Chiayi City Mayor Huang Min-hui, Lienchiang County Magistrate Wang Chung-ming, New Taipei Deputy Mayor Liu Ho-jan, Taoyuan Deputy Mayor Wang Ming-chu, Miaoli Deputy Magistrate Lai Hsiang-ling, Nantou Deputy Magistrate Wang Jui-te, Hualien Deputy Magistrate Yen Hsin-chang, Taitung Deputy Magistrate Wang Chih-hui, Kinmen Deputy Magistrate Chen Hsiang-lin, and Yilan Secretary General Wu Chih-hung.