Taiwan Sugar Accused of Hiding Toxic Oil Contamination; Opposition Demands Accountability

The opposition party in Taiwan is demanding accountability from state-owned Taiwan Sugar Corporation (TSC) over allegations it failed to report a contamination of carcinogenic benzopyrene in oil ingredients. The controversy stems from TSC's receipt of "degummed crude oil" from a subsidiary, Zhonglian Oil, in May. According to the opposition, TSC's internal testing revealed benzopyrene levels of 14.7 ppb, a known carcinogen, prompting TSC to reject the shipment and request a replacement.

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Degummed crude oil is a semi-finished product and not edible oil as defined by the Food Safety Act, so there is no mandatory reporting requirement by law.

However, the opposition alleges that TSC did not report this significant food safety alert to health authorities at the time. They claim this failure allowed Taiwanese consumers to unknowingly ingest contaminated oil for nearly two months until the issue surfaced publicly in late June. "Taiwan Sugar, as a state-owned food producer, is obligated to report under the Food Safety Act," stated Chen Yi-hsin, director of the Kuomintang's Culture and Communications Committee. "TSC's decision not to report upwards after discovering the contamination in May is not only illegal and negligent concealment but also caused the public to consume toxic oil for two more months."

Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan defended TSC's actions, explaining that the degummed crude oil is a semi-finished product and not considered edible oil under the Food Safety Act. Therefore, he argued, mandatory reporting was not legally required, distinguishing it from previous cases where companies were penalized for failing to report contaminated edible oils. "Degummed crude oil is a semi-finished product and not edible oil as defined by the Food Safety Act, so there is no mandatory reporting requirement by law," Hsueh said.

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Taiwan Sugar, as a state-owned food producer, is obligated to report under the Food Safety Act. TSC's decision not to report upwards after discovering the contamination in May is not only illegal and negligent concealment but also caused the public to consume toxic oil for two more months.

Despite the minister's explanation, the Kuomintang insists TSC, which is registered as an edible oil manufacturer, must be held responsible. Chen demanded TSC immediately release its May 15 inspection report, internal documentation, and records of the decision-making process that led to the non-reporting. He specifically asked who at TSC decided not to report the findings and who made the decision to "conceal the case," emphasizing that TSC bears administrative and political responsibility.

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We must question why Taiwan Sugar did not initiate the reporting procedure according to the law after knowing the toxic oil exceeded the standard.