Taiwan food safety scandal sparks DPP mayoral candidates' food‑security platform

A carcinogenic oil scandal that erupted in central Taiwan has prompted the Democratic Progressive Party's mayoral hopefuls in Taichung, Changhua, Nantou and Miaoli to unveil a three‑point food‑safety plan. The candidates propose establishing a "Central Taiwan Food‑Safety Joint‑Defense and Governance Platform," increasing the food‑safety budget, tightening inspection density and raising the frequency of product sampling. They also call for a single‑window reporting system and deeper cooperation with industry, academia and research institutes to boost testing capacity.

The candidates criticised the incumbent administration for only conducting a single test of the oil in eight years and for weak oversight during a recent chicken‑flu outbreak in Taichung. Their proposals aim to make local governments jointly responsible for safeguarding the daily food supply that moves across county lines, and they urged prompt legislative fixes where current laws fall short.