Taiwan Sugar accused of hiding toxic oil discovery; official slams ministry's defense

Taipei's Research, Development and Evaluation Commission Chair Yin Wei has strongly criticized the Ministry of Economic Affairs for what he calls an attempt to "wash" the reputation of Taiwan Sugar Corporation (TSC) in a scandal involving contaminated oil. The controversy centers on TSC's alleged failure to report the discovery of the carcinogen "benzopyrene" in oil raw materials purchased in May.

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Reporting is not a favor from administrative agencies, but a legally mandated obligation. When businesses discover that their products pose a risk to health and safety, they should immediately take measures such as stopping sales, recalling products, and notifying the competent authorities.

While the Ministry of Economic Affairs suggested that reporting obligations should not be "unlimited," High Prosecutor's Office Chief Prosecutor Chen Hung-ta directly refuted this, stating that reporting is a legally mandated duty, not an administrative favor. Chen emphasized that companies must immediately halt sales, recall products, and notify authorities when a health risk is identified.

Yin Wei thanked Chen for his courage in speaking truth to power, reiterating that reporting is a legal obligation. He accused the ministry of shifting focus and ignoring the facts. Yin stressed that TSC, as a state-owned enterprise, should be held to a higher standard, especially when "thousands of tons of toxic oil" could have entered the food supply for millions.

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I am very grateful to Chief Prosecutor Chen Hung-ta. He has the courage to speak the truth to power. He explained very clearly that reporting is not a favor from administrative agencies, but a legal obligation. Shifting the focus cannot change the fact that there is a reporting responsibility.

Further complicating the ministry's stance, Yin pointed to specific articles within the Food Safety and Health Act. He argued that the law clearly defines products to include raw materials and semi-finished goods, and that standards for benzopyrene, including in processing oils, are clearly stipulated. He also noted that regulations for emergency reporting exist within the Ministry of Economic Affairs' own system, which TSC apparently did not follow. Yin added that the Executive Yuan had previously directed proactive reporting of raw material issues following the "Sudan Red" incident, making TSC's inaction even more inexcusable.

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If the Ministry of Economic Affairs continues to send people out to wash [the issue], they should know that Taiwan Sugar is a state-owned enterprise, not a restaurant buying vegetables from the market. Taiwan Sugar is a state-owned enterprise, not an ordinary restaurant, but 'a restaurant run by the state.'