China criticizes Taiwan's food safety handling, Taiwan scholar points to China's own issues

China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian accused Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities of delaying action and attempting to cover up information regarding a food safety incident involving contaminated oil, calling it a "disgraceful exposure of their disregard for people's livelihood."

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Food safety is the bottom line of people's livelihood. 'Benzo[a]pyrene' is listed as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization. Over 3,900 tons of problematic oil have flowed into numerous families, schools, and restaurant tables, seriously endangering the health of the Taiwanese people.

Zhu stated that over 3,900 tons of problematic oil containing "benzo[a]pyrene," a substance classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization, had entered numerous households, schools, and restaurants, posing a severe health risk to Taiwanese citizens. She alleged that the DPP's inaction demonstrated a disregard for public health.

However, Wang Hong-jen, a political science professor at National Cheng Kung University, countered that Taiwan's standards for "benzo[a]pyrene" in edible oils are stricter than many countries, including China's. He pointed out that China's limit is five times more lenient than Taiwan's. Wang suggested that Zhu's comments were a clear attempt to interfere in Taiwan's politics, aiming to undermine the ruling party's governance capabilities ahead of the 2026 and 2028 elections.

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China itself has far too many food safety issues compared to Taiwan. The Taiwan Affairs Office speaking like this is clearly intended to interfere in Taiwan's politics.

Zhu also criticized the DPP authorities for allegedly abandoning food safety standards, citing previous issues with imported U.S. pork, beef, and potatoes, and now "poison apples." She claimed these decisions were made to appease the United States and secure support for Taiwan's independence aspirations. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Taiwan clarified that the pesticide residue limit for "fenpropathrin" in apples was updated based on industry applications and international practices, not political pressure.

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The DPP authorities have completely disregarded the health and welfare of the Taiwanese people, publicly abandoning the bottom line of food safety, from the import of lean pork and beef, to poisonous potatoes and now poisonous apples.