Taiwanese chicken giant Chia Her recalls products over carcinogenic oil contamination

Taiwanese chicken giant Chia Her Enterprise is initiating a precautionary recall of its products after discovering they were made with a batch of soybean salad oil contaminated with a carcinogenic substance. The affected oil, produced by Chung Lien Oil, was found to contain benzo(a)pyrene levels significantly exceeding the national safety standard.

The problematic batch of soybean salad oil, identified by lot number 315-1150404 and produced on April 4th, had 8.1 μg/kg of benzo(a)pyrene, far above Taiwan's limit of 2.0 μg/kg. This oil was supplied to numerous food manufacturers, including Chia Her.

Following an inspection by the Nantou County Health Bureau, it was confirmed that all of the contaminated oil had already been incorporated into processed foods. Chia Her's spokesperson, Liu Ming-che, stated that while the company does not directly sell the salad oil itself, it is implementing the highest level of precaution. This includes a full recall of all related products currently on the market and sealing all existing inventory for further testing.

The company is working to identify precisely which products used the contaminated oil and in what quantities. Depending on the test results, the company may proceed with the complete destruction of the affected products. This proactive measure aims to ensure consumer safety and address the potential health risks associated with the contaminated ingredient.

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The company's related products, although not 'first-tier products' (i.e., directly selling salad oil), will adopt the highest standard of handling. We will proactively and comprehensively recall related products from the market. Inventory in the factory will also be sealed for testing. After the results are out, we will decide how to proceed, possibly leading to complete destruction.