Taiwan's Toxic Oil Scandal Expands: 12 More Businesses Implicated, Including Farmers' Association and Food Companies

The toxic oil scandal in Taiwan has expanded, with 12 additional businesses now implicated. Among the newly identified entities are Foguang Farmers' Association, Jinshangpin Foods, Tomato Village, and Rizheng Foods. These businesses are confirmed to have used or stocked oil products from Zhonglian Grease, a company at the center of a controversy involving carcinogenic substances.

Taichung City's Department of Food and Drug Safety announced the updated list of affected businesses, which are categorized as third-tier recipients of the problematic oil. This brings the total number of implicated food and beverage businesses, including restaurants and processors, to 219. All have been instructed to stop using and remove the tainted oil products from their inventory.

As of the latest reports, authorities have collected a substantial amount of the affected oil and pre-emptively removed products totaling 378,000 kg. Cross-departmental teams from the city government have been actively inspecting markets, supermarkets, night markets, restaurants, and food manufacturers. These inspections, totaling 1,905 visits, aim to verify if businesses still possess, sell, or use the implicated oil and to ensure they maintain proper records of procurement, usage, and returns for further investigation.

The Food and Drug Safety Department emphasized its ongoing commitment to tracing the flow of the contaminated oil, conducting end-user inspections, and cross-referencing data. These efforts will proceed in coordination with central government agencies and the investigation led by the Taichung District Prosecutors Office to clarify the cause of contamination, product distribution, and assign responsibility.