Taiwan bitter tea oil scandal triggers arrests and recalls over benzo‑a‑pyrene

Prosecutors in Taiwan have opened a criminal investigation into the widespread contamination of bitter tea oil with the carcinogen benzo‑a‑pyrene. The probe uncovered that WeiJia Co. imported Chinese bitter tea seeds and mixed them into oil produced by the Source Spring Oil Factory, which supplies several brands.

Authorities arrested and placed under bail the company's actual manager Tu Jie‑sheng (NT$1 million), registered manager Jin Tian‑li (NT$500,000) and procurement staff, while also detaining intermediaries Chen Zhong‑xiu‑hui and Chen Yuan‑nong. Searches covered WeiJia, Source Spring, and related facilities, involving more than a dozen locations.

Food and Drug Administration tests found eight batches of bitter tea oil exceeding the legal limit of benzo‑a‑pyrene, prompting recalls of products from five manufacturers, including New Taipei’s Lian‑Jing, Tainan’s De‑Chang, and others. Some TFDA‑collected samples made from Chinese seeds were found compliant, but the source of the contamination remains under investigation. Local health bureaus have ordered the withdrawal and disposal of the affected oil and warned consumers to stop using the products.