Taichung Authorities Name More Businesses in Contaminated Oil Scandal

Taichung City authorities have revealed the latest details in an ongoing investigation into contaminated cooking oil. The city announced the "second-tier" distribution of a third batch of soybean oil found to exceed legal limits for benzopyrene (BaP).

Among the businesses that received the tainted oil are Palace Museum Fine Dining, Landis Hospitality, and Louisa Coffee. The affected batch, produced by Zhonglian Oil on May 10, contained 2.9 μg/kg of BaP, surpassing the legal standard. Zhonglian Oil supplied 353.8 metric tons to Formosa Oil, 706.25 metric tons to Fwusow Industry, and 245.8 metric tons to Tai Shan.

The city's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is tracing the distribution further, with Fwusow Industry reporting 98 second-tier recipients and Fwusow Industry 176. All businesses are ordered to remove the products from shelves. The FDA also updated information on a second batch of contaminated oil, produced on May 12, which has led to 16 products and 39 batch numbers being identified.

Additionally, 62 downstream businesses in Taichung City that received the second batch of contaminated oil have been named. The city has confirmed 29 batches of soybean oil produced by Zhonglian Oil between April and June are under investigation. While two batches tested in early July met standards, the remaining 26 are currently undergoing third-party testing, with results expected soon. A total of 91 food businesses, including restaurants and processors, have been identified as having received or used the oil and have ceased its use and completed recalls.