Taiwan recalls a series of soybean oils containing carcinogens exceeding standards

The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) has just discovered that a batch of soybean oil from Chung Lien Oils contained 4 times the allowable level of benzopyrene (BaP), a group 1 carcinogen.

In-depth testing results from TFDA and Taichung City Food Safety Office determined that Chung Lien Oils’ oil samples had a benzopyrene content of up to 8.1 μg/kg, while the regulatory safety limit is 2.0 μg/kg.

Authorities determined that the toxic batch was numbered 315-1150404, produced on April 4 and had an expiry date until the end of September this year. Before being discovered, the manufacturer had supplied this material to three major brands including Taishan, Fushou and Fuma since early April.

Upon receiving the information in early July, the three partner businesses activated the emergency recall process of related products from store shelves. Governments of major cities such as Taipei, New Taipei and Taichung also immediately announced a list of more than 100 schools that used this oil source in school meals. TFDA also publicly announced the identities of 257 businesses directly affected by substandard products so that people can proactively prevent them.

Mr. Hsu Chao-kai, Head of the Food Department of TFDA, said the incident started from a partner’s warning when he saw the benzopyrene index in oil reaching a dangerous level. Chung Lien Oils then sent samples for testing and proactively reported incidents when actual results seriously exceeded standards. Although the raw materials imported in April met standards, toxins arose during the processing of finished products. Authorities are currently suspending Chung Lien Oils’ factory operations to investigate temperature control in production.

Benzopyrene is a compound belonging to the group of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), classified as a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). This toxin is often formed when food is processed at too high a temperature or due to improper drying of raw materials. Nutrition expert Lu Meibao warns that when benzopyrene enters the body, it will cause oxidative stress, trigger a chronic inflammatory response and damage DNA structure, leading to gene mutations and the formation of cancer cells.

To protect health, food safety expert Wayne recommends that consumers carefully check the lot code of purchased products, and limit the consumption of burnt grilled foods, fried foods over and over again, and smoked meat and fish of unknown origin. However, experts also caution that people need to stay calm because the risk of cancer only forms through a long-term accumulation process, and does not appear immediately after a few uses.

Currently, TFDA requires business units to immediately report if they discover a potentially harmful product. According to regulations in Taiwan, businesses that delay recovery or intentionally hide information will face an administrative fine of up to NT$3 million, equivalent to about VND 2.4 billion.