Why Did Jiang Zhigang and Shi Chongliang Suddenly Take Responsibility for Toxic Oil? Yin Wei Reveals: Lai Qingde Personally Approved 20% Threshold

The carcinogenic oil scandal involving Zhonglian continues to escalate. After the Ministry of Health and Welfare released an expert panel report, Minister of Health and Welfare Shi Chongliang and Food and Drug Administration Director Jiang Zhigang stepped forward to take responsibility for the controversial decision to exempt products containing less than 20% toxic oil from mandatory recalls. On June 6, Yin Wei, Director of Taipei City's Research, Development, and Evaluation Commission, posted on Facebook revealing that President Lai Qingde personally announced and endorsed the standard of 'only products with over 20% contamination must be fully recalled' during his sole public statement on the toxic oil incident on July 6. Yin criticized Shi and Jiang for being unable to withstand pressure, accusing the central government of initially deflecting responsibility onto academic experts, while the real decision-maker—Lai Qingde—allowed the toxic oil to remain on shelves. 'You take responsibility, I take responsibility'—is this really officials bravely stepping up? Yin sarcastically asked, 'It wasn’t supposed to be this way.'

When the toxic oil crisis expanded in early July, the decision to allow products with less than 20% tainted oil to remain on shelves sparked public outrage and resistance from local governments. After public backlash, the central government eventually reversed its stance. When asked who made the decision, officials initially claimed it was based on expert recommendations. Now, amid intense public anger and legislative scrutiny, the Ministry of Health and Welfare 'proactively' released its report under pressure. Yet suddenly, headlines emerged: 'Jiang Zhigang admits: I approved the 20% threshold,' and 'Shi Chongliang admits: I made the decision and I take responsibility.'

With officials lining up to take the fall, Yin questioned the sincerity. Even issues like whether Taiwan Sugar Corporation should have reported the contamination were being evaded. Is it credible that all senior officials are now suddenly willing to take responsibility? 'It wasn’t supposed to be this way,' Yin repeated. Why the sudden shift?

Yin highlighted two key points about the expert meeting. First, the three executives from Zhonglian—labeled by Premier Cho Jung-tai as unscrupulous businessmen, including the general manager and factory director—were present throughout the meeting. Second, the Executive Yuan also sent representatives. Yin questioned whether Premier Cho played a role before and after the meeting. According to United Daily News, on July 14 during legislative questioning, Cho confirmed that a meeting on July 3 at 5 p.m. with Shi and Jiang led directly to the expert panel on July 4. Cho explicitly acknowledged his role—without his involvement, the 20% meeting might never have occurred.

Did Cho set the target before the meeting? After the meeting, he defended the expert panel, saying, 'Before you came here, you were also an expert—how can you call experts incompetent?' At the time, Cho still insisted experts were not incompetent and used the 20% threshold as justification. Did Cho influence the meeting’s outcome in advance? Did he protect the decision afterward?

Regarding Lai Qingde, Yin reminded the public of a forgotten fact: the expert meeting was convened to determine who decided that products with less than 20% toxic oil could remain on shelves. That decision was publicly endorsed by President Lai. Did Lai speak about the toxic oil issue? Yes. After remaining silent for over a month, Lai’s only public statement on the matter was on July 6, when he declared: 'Starting today, preventive recalls will be initiated for downstream products. Any blended oil made with the tainted oil, or processed products containing more than 20% of it, will be fully recalled.'

Lai Qingde personally announced that products with less than 20% contamination did not need to be recalled—and he did so after the July 4 expert meeting, after the decision had already begun facing public criticism.

Yin questioned: while everyone blames experts, Jiang, Shi, Hsu Fu, Cho Jung-tai, what about Lai Qingde’s role? Can Jiang and Shi truly bear the responsibility? Is Lai willing to take it? Shouldn’t Lai face the public over this?

Additional exclusive reports from Storm Media: - 'Caught! Chen Jinghui reveals Zhonglian attended the entire '20% toxic oil recall threshold' meeting: Shi Chongliang openly lied' - 'Taiwan Sugar toxic oil is semi-finished product, so no need to report? Blue camp lawmakers expose double standards by referencing 'Sudan Red' case documents to counter Lin Jingyi' - 'Does Taiwan Sugar have no obligation to report toxic oil? Writer exposes MOHW's 'cutting-off strategy': even amending food safety laws can't penalize them'