Contaminated Oil Scandal Expands: 228 Schools in 5 Taiwan Counties Used Affected Products, Ministry Reports

Taiwan's Ministry of Education is intensifying its response to a widening scandal involving contaminated cooking oil found in schools. The ministry's latest statistics reveal that as of July 10, a total of 228 schools across five cities and counties had used products linked to the "Zhonglian Oils" incident. These schools have since stopped using the products, removed them preventatively, and are undergoing further procedures.

The affected areas include New Taipei City with 76 schools, Taipei City with 59, Taoyuan City with 13, Taichung City with 69, and Keelung City with 11. The ministry confirmed that the remaining 17 counties and cities did not use the implicated oil products. This issue is scheduled for a special report at the Legislative Yuan's Education and Culture Committee on July 13, focusing on school food safety and the response to the contaminated oil.

Initially, the ministry used its school meal ingredient registration platform to cross-reference national school food data. Following further product announcements by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the ministry broadened its investigation. This expanded probe identified 861 schools and 334 kindergartens in 20 counties and cities as potentially affected. These entities are now undergoing verification of product items and batch numbers, with local education bureaus overseeing the process.

The ministry emphasized its comprehensive school food safety management system, which includes legal regulations, source management, information disclosure, traceability, inter-agency cooperation, and emergency response. It highlighted that all school lunch ingredients are logged on the registration platform, providing transparency for parents and the public. The system aims to ensure the dietary safety of students and provide peace of mind to parents.