Premier Chou En-lai Addresses Oil Scandal, Apologizes for Government Oversight

Premier Chou En-lai has apologized for a food safety scandal involving contaminated oil products, asserting that the government is taking decisive action. Addressing the controversy, Chou stated that only specific oil companies, including Chung Lien, engaged in "covering up" information, not government bodies at any level. He stressed that all levels of government are cooperating to expand mandatory and preventive recalls of problematic oil products.

Chou outlined a "five-point strengthening" plan to enhance food safety, focusing on source management, production processes, an improved abnormal reporting system, reinforced third-level quality control, and enhanced digital governance, including the "Food Cloud" system. Legislative amendments to the Food Safety Act are also forthcoming, aiming to increase inspection frequency and mandate that companies of a certain size establish third-party certified laboratories with immediate reporting obligations.

The premier detailed the timeline of the investigation, noting that out of 30 batches of oil products, seven have been confirmed as problematic. The remaining 23 batches will have their full inspection reports submitted next Monday. Chou specifically highlighted that a batch from April 1, discovered in Yilan County, was not among the 29 batches reported by Chung Lien, indicating the company deliberately delayed reporting and concealed information.

He acknowledged that all government levels should bear administrative responsibility for not detecting all problematic batches initially. Chou urged all county and city governments to re-examine their stockpiles for any unreported batches from Chung Lien, emphasizing the need for joint central and local government efforts in thorough investigations. He reiterated that the government has no intention of relaxing standards, with immediate recalls already in effect and further preventive measures being implemented.