"I Guarantee the Ministry of Health and Welfare Knew About the Taisugar Incident Early!" Huang Kuo-chang: Kaohsiung City Government's Statement Has Already Revealed the Truth

Zhonglian concealed carcinogenic oil, triggering a major food safety crisis. According to a ruling by Taichung District Court, Taisugar detected excessive levels of benzopyrene — a known carcinogen — in crude oil supplied by Zhonglian as early as May and subsequently rejected the shipment. However, Zhonglian failed to report the incident to regulatory authorities even after the rejection. The opposition has questioned why Taisugar did not proactively notify the competent authority. In response, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) insists that there is no legal obligation to report contaminated raw materials.

In reaction, Taiwan People's Party Chairperson Huang Kuo-chang criticized the government, stating: "The Kaohsiung City Health Bureau later admitted that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had already obtained knowledge of the seized rejected crude oil during factory inspections. This proves that authorities knew early on that the oil was sealed due to contamination. Why was this never disclosed to the public?"

During a live stream, Huang challenged MOHW Deputy Minister Lin Ching-i’s claim that because the oil was a semi-finished product, Taisugar bore no reporting obligation. He said: "There are only two possible explanations for such an ignorant statement. First, they know the law but are deliberately distorting it to evade responsibility. Second, they genuinely believe Article 7, Paragraph 5 of the Food Safety and Sanitation Management Act applies only to finished products, not raw materials — which would mean the deputy minister fundamentally misunderstands the law."

Huang asserted: "I guarantee the MOHW did not learn about this incident only after the Taichung court ruling." He cited the Economic Affairs Ministry’s special report on July 8, which stated: "Taisugar insists on using high-quality U.S. soybeans as raw material; however, due to current daily pressing capacity limits, insufficient supply is supplemented by purchasing crude soybean oil from Brazil that meets national safety standards." This confirms Taisugar sourced Brazilian crude oil.

Huang then asked: "Did the Ministry of Economic Affairs know at the time about the oil in Tank 311 that Taisugar returned?" The Kaohsiung Health Bureau claimed reporting responsibility lay with Zhonglian, noting the FDA had already seized and secured the crude oil in Tank 311 during inspections and confirmed it did not enter the market. Huang pressed further: "So when exactly did the FDA conduct those inspections? If inspections occurred, then the MOHW knew the oil was sealed due to超标. Why was the public never informed?"

He accused the MOHW of complete silence in press releases and legislative reports, asking: "If this isn’t concealment, then what is?" He also noted that the MOHW commissioned a third-party investigation team, which at its first meeting on July 20 immediately requested production records for Tanks 311 and 301 — clear evidence, he argued, that authorities already suspected problems and possessed relevant data.

Additional exclusive reports from Wind Media: · Did Taisugar have a legal duty to report? A public health professor from National Taiwan University analyzed the regulations, stating: "The legal interpretation is not that simple," and that the MOHW’s position is not the only valid one. · Should Taisugar have reported the return of Zhonglian’s crude oil? Shih Chou-liang emphasized: "There is no reporting obligation for raw materials," though he acknowledged Taisugar set its own acceptance criteria. · Taisugar detected 'Zhonglian carcinogenic oil' in May and returned it! Yen Wei challenged: "Where is the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ accountability for its state-owned enterprises?"