Taiwan FDA Launches Food Safety Overhaul After Benzopyrene Contamination Scandal at Central Union Oil
核心洞察
Taiwan's FDA discovered benzopyrene (搜索) contamination in soybean cooking oil produced by Central Union Oil Corp (搜索), affecting approximately 1,300 tonnes and at least 200 downstream businesses nationwide.
Discrepancies between the company's retention sample test results and downstream product testing have raised concerns about sampling integrity, prompting a prosecutorial investigation.
Health Minister Shih Chung-liang outlined four food safety directives including source management, manufacturing process control, quality reporting, and enhanced corporate governance for high-risk food industries.
Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is implementing sweeping food safety reforms following the discovery of excessive levels of the carcinogen benzopyrene (搜索) in soybean cooking oil produced by Taichung-based Central Union Oil Corp (搜索) (CUOC). The contamination, which affects approximately 1,300 tonnes of oil, has been traced to at least 200 downstream businesses nationwide, triggering widespread product recalls and a prosecutorial investigation.
The FDA received its first report from CUOC on June 30, when the company disclosed that batch No. 315-1150404, manufactured in April, contained benzopyrene (搜索) levels exceeding the legal limit during internal testing. Two additional contaminated batches were subsequently reported by downstream companies Taisun Enterprise Co (搜索) and Namchow Oil & Fat (搜索) on Tuesday and Thursday of the following week.
Scope of Contamination and Recall Efforts
The contaminated oil was distributed to three primary customer companies — Taisun Enterprise Co (搜索), Fwusow Industry Co (搜索), and Formosa Oilseed Processing Co (搜索) — which then supplied products to an extensive network of downstream businesses. Eighteen products from these three companies were affected, according to the Taichung Food and Drug Safety Division.
The products reached at least 300 downstream businesses nationwide, including major brands such as Weichuan, Louisa Coffee, Regent Taipei, Sushiro, CP Foods, Lian Hwa Foods, Gourmet Master, and Lao Xie Zhen. The Ministry of National Defense was also among the affected organizations, though it confirmed that all products identified in the recalls have been removed from base stores and tested, with none found to contain contaminated oil.
The Executive Yuan ordered all products using oil manufactured by CUOC between April and the previous month to be removed from shelves. Authorities are monitoring the recall process and have requested a full incident report from Central Union Oil.
Discrepancies Prompt Prosecutorial Investigation
Health Minister Shih Chung-liang revealed that the FDA visited CUOC's manufacturing plant immediately after the first case was reported, requesting retention samples of every batch of oil produced in recent months for retesting at a third-party certified laboratory. However, the FDA has declined to release those test results publicly.
"There is a clear discrepancy between the test results of the CUOC's oil samples and the results reported by its downstream oil companies," Shih stated. "Therefore, we are worried that there may be a problem in the sampling process, or there could be a falsification of samples, which we have not been able to clarify."
The ministry has deemed CUOC's retention sample test results "unreliable" and has turned over all test reports to prosecutors for further investigation. The Taichung District Prosecutors' Office confirmed that authorities are focused on tracing the source of the contaminated oil's raw materials, the manufacturing process, and quality control systems to determine at what stage benzopyrene (搜索) levels rose abnormally.
Prosecutors are seeking to establish whether any of the companies involved knowingly processed, sold, or distributed oil containing carcinogenic substances above legal limits.
Four-Pronged Food Safety Reform
Speaking at a medical law and policy forum in Taipei, Minister Shih outlined four directives to improve oversight of high-risk food industries:
First, regarding source management, high-risk food companies will be required to retain samples of their ingredients or semi-finished products, and batch-by-batch testing should be mandated for certain high-risk products.
Second, food companies will be asked to test their products for safety and stability when they change manufacturing procedures or main ingredients before commencing mass production.
Third, laboratory testing protocols will be enhanced with external oversight mechanisms, while mandatory reporting and real-time data upload systems will be introduced, enabling authorities to monitor abnormalities and receive early warnings.
Fourth, the ministry plans to discuss regulations with the Financial Supervisory Commission that would require large food companies or those with high market risks to appoint independent directors with backgrounds in food, healthcare, or public health, thereby strengthening corporate governance.
Calls for Systemic Reform
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chang Chia-chun emphasized that food safety crises are most dangerous when problems are concealed. She called for a comprehensive FDA review of upstream cooking oil management, inspection frequency, traceability systems, and information disclosure mechanisms.
"Only greater transparency can truly help rebuild public trust in food safety," Chang said.