President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) addressed the recent soybean oil recall, emphasizing the importance of strictly following food safety protocol. He underscored that for such measures, there is no room for compromise, saying those responsible for the incident must be held accountable with no leniency. 

On Friday, July 3, Taiwan issued an emergency recall of soybean oil supplied by Central Union Oil Corporation after it was found to have an unusually high amount of the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene, or BaP. Stores around Taiwan were ordered to pull all affected products from the shelves by noon the same day, and threatened with a fine of NT$30,000 (over US$900) to NT$3 million (nearly US$93,600) if caught selling contaminated items after the recall. Consumers have been warned to stop using affected products, which contain more than four times the legal limit of BaP.

Chung Lien Oils voluntarily reported the information after internal testing revealed the issue.

Speaking on the issue on Monday, President Lai pointed to four necessary response measures. First and foremost, all production must stop during the investigation period. Chung Lien has stopped production of all products while officials investigate the cause of the issue. 

Second, all products involved must be removed – this, the president noted, was complete on Friday. All products from the three most-involved food manufacturers, including Taishan (泰山), Fushou (福壽), and Fumao (福懋) were removed in the recall last week.

After the first-line products, related products must also be removed. This includes blended oils with the contaminant or anything else with more than 20% of the contaminant in their finished product. The government proactively published the names of 257 companies whose products may be affected, and currently requires them to disclose relevant consumer information.

Finally, President Lai said that accountability is extremely important. He said the government will continue to pursue the investigation as transparently as possible. Central and local governments will cooperate to protect public food safety and implement relevant control measures to keep the public safe and informed.