At the Cabinet's weekly meeting Thursday, Premier Cho Jung-tai received a Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) briefing on the government's response and follow-up measures regarding soybean salad oil supplied by Taichung-based Central Union Oil Corp. that was found to contain benzo[a]pyrene at levels exceeding Taiwan's regulatory limits. The premier said that the sole standard for food safety management is the rigorous guarding of food safety, ensuring that the public can shop and eat with peace of mind. He said the government will continue to undertake a comprehensive review of source management, production process controls, inspection mechanisms, reporting systems and regulatory improvements, while guaranteeing the stable supply of safe, healthy edible oils.
Premier Cho pointed out that the investigation into certain Central Union Oil Corp. salad oil products remains ongoing. He emphasized that the government's position is that every action warranted by the facts will be taken—whether that means conducting investigations, imposing penalties, making public disclosures or ordering product recalls. He also called on the businesses involved to handle consumer returns with flexibility and efficiency, and directed the MOHW to work with prosecutors and investigators to ensure that the comprehensive investigation is conducted as swiftly as possible into raw material sources, production processes and any attempts to conceal wrongdoing.
The premier also instructed the MOHW to promptly begin the process of drafting amendments to the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation to rebuild four lines of defense for food safety: source control, process inspection, external verification and post-market surveillance. This approach will close regulatory loopholes through stricter regulations, prevent unscrupulous businesses from concealing violations and demonstrate the government's unwavering commitment to food safety.