The government is planning five major reforms and will review product recall regulations in light of rising food safety concerns in Taiwan. The controversy stems from contaminated cooking oil produced by Central Union Oil Corporation. On Wednesday, July 15, Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) stated that the most likely cause of the contamination is related to the manufacturing process, although experts are still investigating the matter.

Tests found carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene exceeding limits in the corporation's soybean cooking oil. Five affected branches have been identified, and all downstream products have been removed from the shelves. Authorities also ordered precautionary recalls of related products. New relisting guidelines announced on Tuesday triggered criticism from opposition lawmakers.

Shih said recalls traditionally target confirmed problematic products, but broader precautionary removals were deemed necessary during the investigation. He stressed the relisting rules apply only to unaffected batches. Responding to criticism of policy inconsistency, Shih noted existing recall principles were revised after the 2014 oil scandal but may need further updates.

Shih said: “After the 2014 oil incident, new classification-based recall principles were established in 2016, covering 10 categories with different response levels. “Given the increasing complexity of food safety incidents, we have already held expert meetings and will continue discussing whether further revisions are needed.”