City Hall Denies Falsifying Data After Media Personality Questions Oil Inspection

Media personality Wen Lang-tung has publicly questioned the Taichung City Government's inspection of Chung-Lien Oil, a major soybean oil producer. Wen alleged that a city government inspection on April 26, 2024, did not include testing for benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon.

Wen pointed out that while the city's report lacked this test, information received by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) on the same day indicated that the same batch of soybean salad oil from Chung-Lien was compliant for BaP. This discrepancy led Wen to question whether the city government fabricated data or if the MOHW's data was erroneous.

The Taichung City Government responded by stating that inspection items are determined by the central FDA. For the 2024 fiscal year, the FDA sent samples from various oil manufacturers, including Chung-Lien, to SGS for testing. The FDA then provided the results to the city government. According to the FDA's report, Chung-Lien's product met the standards for benzo(a)pyrene, which is why it was not specifically listed on the city's website as a tested item.

The government further clarified that a joint inspection project in January 2025, initiated by the MOHW's FDA, involved testing 13 manufacturers for BaP. The city emphasized that the list of manufacturers for that specific project was designated by the central FDA, and Wen's assertion that Chung-Lien was not tested in that instance was a misunderstanding, suggesting he should direct his inquiry to the central FDA.