TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The KMT said up to 150,000 people attended a protest against tainted salad oil in front of the Presidential Office Building Saturday evening.
Concern about salad oil emerged when an estimated 1,300 metric tons of soybean oil produced in April by Central Union Oil Corp. was found to contain excessive levels of the carcinogen benzopyrene. The find led to massive recalls affecting products from a wide range of brands and to the detention of Central Union Oil executives.
The main opposition party accused the government of responding too slowly to the food safety case. Protesters dressed in white called for the resignation of Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) to take political responsibility for the case, per UDN.
Visiting Nantou Saturday, Cho responded that the government was already taking measures to toughen up legislation. The Cabinet proposed amendments to the Food Safety and Sanitation Act Thursday requiring quicker reporting of food safety issues by manufacturers and stiffer fines for failing to do so. The Food and Drug Administration said it was conducting preventive recalls, investigations to track the supply chain, and testing products using the salad oil, per CNA.
The main initiative for Saturday’s protest came from Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安). The KMT has been criticized for politicizing the food safety issue in the run-up to the Nov. 28 local elections. At the start of the protest, the party said at least 50,000 people were present at the event. After 7 p.m., organizers said the total had reached 150,000, Liberty Times reported. Earlier in the day, the opposition party held a conference promoting its candidates for city mayor and county magistrate.
