Two more batches of cooking oil fail inspection; government to investigate and revise laws

Taiwan's Executive Yuan is accelerating its investigation into cooking oil produced by Zhonglian Oil Company after two additional batches were found to be substandard. Out of 30 batches produced between April and June, a total of seven have now failed quality inspections.

The latest findings were reported during a meeting on July 20th, where the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) presented inspection results. While five batches were previously confirmed as non-compliant, and one was excluded due to export, the remaining 24 batches were tested. Three batches awaiting shipment met standards, but two of the 21 shipped batches were newly identified as problematic.

Premier Cho Jung-tai convened a meeting on July 20th to address the issue. He had previously instructed that all inspections be completed within a week to thoroughly assess the risks. The FDA will present the inspection results of the compliant batches to a "Food Risk Assessment Advisory Council" on July 21st to evaluate risks and determine follow-up actions.

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The compliant batches will be presented to the 'Food Risk Assessment Advisory Council' tomorrow (21st) for risk assessment and to discuss follow-up measures.

An independent investigation team, commissioned by the FDA and led by the Food Industry Research and Development Institute, will begin a comprehensive review of Zhonglian Oil's manufacturing and quality management processes on July 21st. The goal is to quickly clarify the cause of the failures and assign responsibility, with a report expected within a week.

In response to the incident, the Ministry of Health and Welfare will propose amendments to the "Food Safety and Sanitation Management Act" and related regulations this Thursday. The proposed revisions aim to enhance source management, process control, abnormality reporting, quality management, and digital governance. Key changes include increasing self-inspection frequency for high-risk food businesses, establishing a certification system for company-run laboratories, strengthening reporting obligations, and improving traceability for high-risk products.

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An independent investigation team will conduct a comprehensive review of the manufacturing and quality management processes at the plant tomorrow to clarify the cause of the accident and responsibility as soon as possible.