Did Taisugar Avoid Reporting Toxic Oil by Claiming It Was Semi-Finished? KMT Legislator Cites 'Sudan Red' Document to Refute Lin Jingyi, Accuses Double Standards

Documents from the Taichung District Court have revealed that Taiwan Sugar Corporation (Taisugar) detected excessive levels of benzopyrene—a carcinogenic substance—in crude oil sourced from Chung Lian Oils as early as May. However, instead of reporting the issue to regulatory authorities, Taisugar merely requested a product replacement from the supplier, drawing widespread criticism.

Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chong-liang stated that since Taisugar purchased raw materials rather than finished products, there was no mandatory obligation to report under current regulations. Deputy Minister Lin Jingyi further argued that the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) was deliberately confusing semi-finished goods with final consumer products, asking sarcastically, "How badly do you want to defend Chung Lian, which has already been penalized?"

In response, KMT legislator Chen Jinghui appeared on the program *Qian Qiu Wan Shi* today (3rd) and countered Lin Jingyi’s claims by citing an official press release issued by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) on March 1, 2024, regarding the "Sudan Red" food safety incident. The document clearly states: "Food businesses must proactively report whenever raw materials or products are found to pose a risk to public health and safety. Violators may face fines up to NT$3 million." Chen questioned why the MOHW suddenly changed its standards when dealing with Taisugar, accusing the ministry of applying double standards.

Regarding public质疑 over Taisugar’s failure to report the toxic oil, Lin Jingyi emphasized that the disputed batch of oil was unrefined crude oil—classified as a semi-finished product—and that no transaction had been finalized between Taisugar and Chung Lian. She explained that Taisugar maintains strict internal quality inspection protocols upon receiving raw materials to ensure that refined end-products comply with the *Food Safety and Sanitation Management Act*. After sampling at Chung Lian’s Taichung facility on May 11 and detecting non-compliance, Taisugar rejected the entire batch. The contaminated oil never entered Taisugar’s factories, warehouses, or any transportation or processing systems.

Lin stressed that the *Food Safety Act* explicitly defines and penalizes violations related to "finished edible oil products." In contrast, the management of semi-finished goods or pre-refined raw materials falls under the scope of voluntary HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) compliance by individual companies. She accused certain media outlets of intentionally blurring the distinction between raw materials and finished goods, reiterating her question: "How desperately are you trying to justify for Chung Lian, which has already been punished?"

Chen Jinghui strongly rebutted, accusing Lin Jingyi of being the one defending Chung Lian. She pointed out that Lin had invited Chung Lian representatives to meetings but has yet to release the recordings despite repeated calls for transparency. Chen also demanded the release of surveillance footage from the MOHW, claiming many insiders are deeply dissatisfied with the lack of accountability.

She further cited the MOHW Food and Drug Administration’s press release dated March 1, 2024, on the "Sudan Red" incident, highlighting the directive: "Food businesses must proactively report if raw materials or products are suspected of posing health risks. Failure to do so may result in fines up to NT$3 million." She criticized the MOHW for abruptly changing its stance in the Taisugar case, calling it a clear case of inconsistent enforcement.

Chen questioned how Taisugar could remain silent after detecting carcinogen levels seven times above the legal limit. Could it be that such超标 findings are so common that they’ve become normalized? Over the past decade, the MOHW has allocated hundreds of billions of NT dollars to food safety budgets and spent NT$5 billion under the Forward-Looking Infrastructure Program to build a dedicated "Food Safety Building." Yet, expert panel meetings allowed industry representatives to attend, and even detained executives from Chung Lian reportedly learned about the controversial decision—"20% carcinogen-laced oil does not require recall"—before the general public. Meanwhile, the names of the seven food safety experts who attended the meeting remain confidential to this day.

More exclusive reports from Feng Media: · Is Taisugar exempt from reporting toxic oil? Writer exposes MOHW’s “legal loophole strategy”: Even amending the Food Safety Act won’t enable punishment · Taisugar knew about Chung Lian’s toxic oil as early as May — Top vegetable farmer mocks southern city leaders: “Fallen from grace,” calling inspections a farce · Who is shielding the toxic oil cover-up? Taisugar detected benzopyrene超标 in May but failed to report — Medical expert lists three red flags: Did the院长 and minister really not know?