Carcinogenic oil scare affects 100 Taipei schools; over 70,000 kg of products recalled

Taipei City's health bureau has initiated a large-scale recall of cooking oil and processed foods after a batch of Fwusow brand soybean salad oil was found to exceed the legal limit for benzo(a)pyrene, a carcinogen.

The affected product, with an expiration date of October 4, 2028, and identified as batch number 314-1150410, contained 2.6 µg/kg of benzo(a)pyrene, surpassing the standard of 2.0 µg/kg. This discovery prompted an expansion of the city's oil inspection project, which initially focused on other problematic oils supplied by Chung Lien Oil Company.

To date, over 70,000 kilograms of oil and related products have been removed from shelves. This includes 606.28 kg of Fwusow and Fwumao brand oils, 25,691 kg of Tai Shan brand oils, and 43,805.3 kg of seven processed products manufactured by Nanqiao Oil Company. The health bureau is actively investigating 15 companies and continuing to trace the distribution of these products to ensure their complete removal from the market.

The contamination has had a significant impact on the city's food supply chain, particularly affecting 100 schools that received meals from 12 affected catering businesses. The Taipei Department of Education is coordinating with these schools to inventory and seal any remaining suspect oil products. Consumer protection groups are also assisting affected individuals in pursuing compensation claims once legal liabilities are determined.