Taiwan County Magistrate Proposes Reforms Amid 'Toxic Oil' Scandal

Yunlin County Magistrate Chang Li-shan has called for significant reforms to food safety regulations during an online "Anti-Toxic Oil National Convention." She proposed a three-pronged approach: implementing a clear preventative delisting system for problematic products, overhauling the current inspection framework to include batch-by-batch checks from the source, and mandating third-party inspection agencies to proactively report any non-compliance.

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The toxic oil incident has been going on for so long, like a grandma's foot binding cloth, long and unpleasant, with no end in sight. I hope the central government can quickly clarify the truth and explain it to the nation.

Chang expressed frustration with the protracted "toxic oil" scandal, likening it to a "grandma's foot binding cloth", long and unpleasant, with no end in sight. She urged the central government to swiftly clarify the truth and inform the public.

The magistrate highlighted systemic issues exposed by the scandal, particularly the lack of precise central government regulations, which leaves local authorities without clear legal grounds for enforcement. She advocated for a more defined delisting system, specifying the scope of removal and conditions for re-listing products. Furthermore, she suggested moving from semi-annual inspections to rigorous batch-by-batch testing, with results uploaded to a food traceability system.

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The central government should establish a clearer preventative delisting system, clearly defining the scope of product delisting and the conditions for re-listing, so that local governments have legal grounds when enforcing public authority.

Chang also pointed out the limitations of the current inspection system, with only three accredited agencies facing a high demand, leading to long wait times and delayed results. The high cost of inspections, over NT$5,000 per item, discourages businesses from submitting samples. She proposed reducing inspection costs to ease the burden on businesses while implementing batch testing.

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We suggest changing from the current regulation of inspecting once every six months to implementing 'batch-by-batch inspection' from the source and uploading results to the food traceability system in real-time.

Finally, Chang recommended granting third-party inspection agencies legal responsibility to proactively report non-compliant products. Currently, they only notify the businesses involved. Empowering them to also inform regulatory authorities would prevent information concealment and establish a more robust food safety early warning mechanism, ensuring both central and local governments have timely access to critical information.

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We suggest granting third-party inspection agencies the legal responsibility to proactively report findings. When inspection agencies discover non-conforming products, they should notify the competent authorities simultaneously, in addition to notifying the businesses.