Zhonglian Oil Case Report Cites Process Errors; Taichung Health Bureau Urged to Improve

Taiwan's food safety authorities have released a comprehensive investigation report into the Zhonglian Oil case, which sparked widespread public concern over the safety of soybean oil. The report, made public by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), points to overall process operational deficiencies within the company.

The FDA stated that the report will be forwarded to the Taichung City Department of Health. Local health authorities are urged to supervise the relevant businesses to promptly implement the suggested improvements. These recommendations focus on strengthening raw material acceptance, enhancing process controls, refining quality management, and establishing better abnormality reporting mechanisms.

Regarding the recent crisis, FDA Deputy Director-General Wang Der-yuan announced that independent tests conducted on products from three other refineries, Taiwan Sugar Corporation's Xiaogang plant, Changhui Enterprise Co., Ltd., and Datongyi Co., Ltd., showed no violations of food safety regulations regarding benzo(a)pyrene levels. These tests included 30 oil samples and found all to be compliant.

While these findings suggest the immediate crisis surrounding soybean oil may be subsiding, the FDA emphasized its commitment to ongoing food safety monitoring. The agency plans to conduct further risk assessments and specialized inspections to ensure the continued safety of edible oils in Taiwan. The full third-party investigation report is also available on the FDA's dedicated "Zhonglian Oil Case Special Zone" website.

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The report also includes recommendations for strengthening raw material acceptance, process control, quality management, and abnormality reporting mechanisms.