TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Food and Drug Administration Director-General Chiang Chih-kang (姜至剛) said Tuesday that his priority remains addressing the soybean oil contamination scandal as calls grew for his resignation and that of Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良).
Central Union Oil, 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. The opposition has criticized the government's response, prompting calls for Chiang and Shih to resign.
Asked whether he bears political responsibility for the scandal, Chiang did not answer directly, per NOWNews. Instead, he acknowledged public concerns over food safety and said his priorities are locating the contaminated oil, recalling affected products, holding the companies accountable, and reviewing Taiwan's food safety system.
A major point of contention has been the government's shifting response. The FDA initially declined to disclose which businesses purchased the contaminated soybean oil and did not require mandatory recalls of products containing less than 20% contaminated oil.
Although the DPP legislative caucus defended the government's reversals as necessary, the initial decisions and subsequent policy changes drew criticism from the opposition, per Liberty Times.
National Taiwan University Hospital Superintendent Yu Chong-jen (余忠仁) defended Chiang, his former colleague, saying the hospital supports physicians who enter public service through political appointments, per UDN. Yu acknowledged that political appointees often face heightened scrutiny during election years and said he hopes Chiang can weather the controversy.
Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers continued to press Chiang over the government's handling of the incident.
Citing an essay Chiang wrote in 2016, KMT Legislator Chen Ching-hui (陳菁徽) argued Wednesday that the scandal exposed weaknesses in Taiwan's food safety system, per Knews. She said Taiwan faces challenges enforcing its food safety laws, adding that relying on corporate safeguards has allowed the government to shift some of its responsibilities onto businesses.
When the health ministry fined Central Union Oil roughly NT$160 million (US$4.9 million), it said the company and its three shareholders deliberately delayed reporting the contaminated batch and failed to halt production promptly, per UDN. The ministry also said Namchow Oil and Fat Co., which had initially been viewed as a whistleblower, failed to notify authorities after discovering excessive levels of carcinogenic compounds.
Although the DPP has publicly defended the government's handling of the controversy, reports suggest frustration is growing within the party. A DPP insider said the FDA's initial refusal to disclose the list of businesses that purchased the contaminated oil and its policy exempting products containing less than 20% contaminated oil from mandatory recalls, followed by the rapid reversal of both decisions, deserved criticism, per China Times.
A DPP lawmaker said that with the party locked in competitive races against the KMT in several municipalities, it is imperative to contain the scandal quickly to minimize its impact on the local elections.
According to party insiders, senior DPP officials are more concerned with Chiang's communication than his handling of the investigation. Sources told Tai Sounds that Chiang's reliance on technical data and statistics has frustrated party leaders, who believe he should instead focus on answering practical questions, such as whether consuming the contaminated oil poses a danger and what steps the government is taking to address the situation.
During a Cabinet briefing, officials reportedly reminded Chiang that the public wants clear explanations and reassurance rather than technical discussions of toxicology. Reports also said the Cabinet considered replacing Chiang, but the proposal was rejected by the Presidential Office because changing the FDA chief on the eve of an election could create additional political problems.
