Taipei City Health Bureau orders recall of contaminated bitter tea oil

Lianjing Company reported that its bitter tea oil contained benzo[a]pyrene above legal limits. Of the 939 bottles sold, 33 were recalled by 23 May and the recall is ongoing, with the product removed from shelves. The Taipei City Health Bureau convened an expert panel to discuss processing improvements and issued guidelines for reducing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in edible oils. The raw material for the oil was imported from China, and authorities are investigating whether the contamination stems from the raw material or the manufacturing process.

Separately, Weijia Company claimed its products used Alishan small‑farmer bitter‑tea seeds but could not provide documentation linking the seeds to the oil. The Health Bureau fined the company NT$3 million for false information under the Food Safety Act. In response to the series of incidents, the bureau launched a third wave of expanded testing of oil products across manufacturers, retailers, online platforms, and also began sampling soybean meal for similar residues. Consumers are urged to stop using any suspect oil and can verify recall details on the city’s food‑safety portal.