Taiwan's Zhonglian oil contamination scandal triggers recalls, protests
A batch of soybean salad oil produced by Zhonglian Oil was found to contain the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene at levels more than four times the legal limit. The Food and Drug Administration ordered preventive recalls of the affected oil and related products, totaling over 7,700 tonnes, and identified more than 1,300 tons that flowed to downstream manufacturers. The scandal now involves at least 1,322 downstream businesses, including well‑known food brands and restaurant chains.
The Taiwan Stock Exchange fined four listed companies—Tai Shan, Fu Shou, Fu Mao and Nan Qiao—each NT$300,000 for delayed disclosure of the food‑safety information. Meanwhile, Taichung mayor Lu Hsiu‑yen and Taipei mayor Chiang Wan‑an publicly blamed the central government for slow action and called for accountability, with Chiang urging a street protest on July 25. The opposition Democratic Progressive Party’s Taichung council demanded concrete improvements, while the Kuomintang launched an “oil‑trace” website to let consumers track the oil’s journey.
The Executive Yuan refuted Lu’s accusations, stating that it had jointly inspected facilities with Taichung officials, disclosed product flow data, and ordered product withdrawals. In the legal arena, Zhonglian’s general manager Yu Ling‑chong was placed under a NT$20 million bail after prosecutors alleged evidence‑tampering and obstruction, though a higher court later ordered further review of his detention.
The episode has sparked consumer concern, market volatility, and a broader political debate over food‑safety governance in Taiwan.