TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — DPP Legislative Caucus Secretary-General Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) expressed support Tuesday for President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) directive to hold those responsible accountable in the ongoing soybean oil contamination scandal.
Central Union Oil Corp., a joint venture established by Taisun Enterprise (泰山), Fwusow industry (福壽), and Formosa Oilseed Processing Co. (福懋), sold soybean oil containing roughly four times the legal limit of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), a carcinogen. On Monday, Lai ordered Central Union Oil to suspend production, recall contaminated soybean oil sold under the Taisun, Fwusow, and FOPC brands, recall products containing at least 20% contaminated oil, disclose the list of affected retailers, and pursue accountability, per Knews.
Chuang said the DPP caucus supports Lai's call for accountability, adding that the opposition will demand the Cabinet deliver a report to the legislature on the government's handling of the incident, per ETtoday. He said one of the central questions is whether any of the companies involved deliberately withheld information about the contaminated oil.
Citing publicly available information, Chuang said Namchow Oil and Fat Co. notified Fwusow after detecting irregularities during inspections in mid-May. He said investigators must determine what actions Taisun, Fwusow, FOPC, and Central Union Oil took before the contamination was reported to authorities on June 30.
Meanwhile, opposition parties called for a broader review of Taiwan's food safety inspection system and renewed demands for Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) to resign.
At a TPP news conference, former Food and Drug Administration Director-General Kang Chao-chou (康照洲) said the incident exposed weaknesses in Taiwan's three-tier food safety management system, which relies on manufacturers' quality control, third-party testing, and government inspections, per NOWNews. Kang proposed allowing downstream businesses to report suspected food safety problems directly to government agencies.
TPP Legislator Chen Chao-tzu (陳昭姿) noted that tests of the same batch of soybean oil produced results ranging from within the legal limit to more than four times the legal limit for BaP, raising questions about testing methods and sample consistency.
The TPP also criticized the government's policy allowing retailers to decide whether to recall products if contaminated oil accounts for less than 20% of the ingredients. Citing the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, TPP Legislative Caucus Convener Chen Ching-lung (陳清龍) questioned why products containing contaminated oil were allowed to remain on the market when the law prohibits food made with harmful substances.
Chen called on Shih to resign and urged Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) to report to the legislature on the government's response.
The KMT, meanwhile, urged Lai to follow the example of former President Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) administration during the 2014 food safety crisis, including convening a national security meeting, having the premier issue a public apology, and replacing the health minister, per Tai Sounds. KMT Culture and Communications Committee Chair Chen I-hsin (陳以信) also called on the government to establish an easy-to-use online platform where consumers can check whether products are affected and obtain information on returning recalled items.
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Professor Liu Tsung-jung (劉宗榮) echoed those concerns, saying minimizing public exposure to carcinogenic compounds should be the government's top priority. He said effective risk management and clear public communication would be essential.
Separately, local governments announced penalties against companies linked to the contaminated oil. Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) said Tuesday that the city would fine Central Union Oil, Fwusow, and FOPC NT$3 million (US$99,334) each and require the recall of all products containing the contaminated oil, regardless of the proportion used, per PTS.
The Changhua County Public Health Bureau said Tuesday it would fine Taisun NT$6 million for failing to report potential contamination after learning of possible problems with its products on June 15, per UDN. The bureau also said Taisun failed to fully disclose its response and provide a complete timeline during the investigation.
Responding to opposition calls for Shih's resignation, Cho said the relevant agencies were already handling the situation, per UP Media.
