Taiwan military halts use of cooking oil contaminated with carcinogen

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense has confirmed that cooking oil contaminated with a Class 1 carcinogen, benzopyrene, was supplied to military facilities. The affected product was manufactured by Chung Lien Oil, and approximately 1,300 metric tons of problematic oil have entered the market, impacting numerous domestic edible oil manufacturers and well-known catering brands.

Following the discovery, the Ministry of National Defense announced on July 4th that the affected products were removed from service and sent for testing on July 2nd. All military units have been instructed to cease using the oil. This action comes after the Taichung City Department of Health's second wave of inspection results revealed the inclusion of the "National Defense Ministry Welfare Business Management Department" among the affected downstream vendors.

The contamination involves benzopyrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon that can form during food processing or from environmental pollution. The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies it as a Group 1 carcinogen, posing a significant risk of lung, skin, and digestive tract cancers with prolonged or high exposure.

The scope of the contamination is expanding, with reports indicating that downstream vendors of companies like Fwusow Industry and Formosa Oil Seed Processing have been affected. This includes numerous well-known brands and establishments, raising widespread public health concerns. The Ministry of National Defense stated it is closely monitoring information from the Food and Drug Administration and actively investigating the matter.