Taiwan Ministry of Economic Affairs coordinates cooking oil supply

Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs has announced measures to address recent cooking oil shortages driven by increased demand for school meals and the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. Minister Kung Ming-hsin stated that the central government will intervene if local authorities cannot manage supply issues. Taiwan Sugar Corporation will prioritize supplying oil for institutional meals, while the company Datongyi will be coordinated to handle non-institutional demand.

The supply concerns follow a food safety scandal involving CSBC Oils. Prosecutors have indicted 15 individuals and four companies after it was discovered that CSBC relaxed standards for soybean input and failed to report abnormal levels of benzo(a)pyrene in salad oil. Approximately 8,478 metric tons of substandard oil were distributed to various companies. In response, Foma Oil has terminated its appointment of CSBC Chairman Tsai Ching-song as its legal representative.