Taichung: The Taichung District Prosecutors Office has indicted four companies and 15 individuals in a scandal involving contaminated cooking oil produced by Central Union Oil Corp. The oil was found to contain benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a known carcinogen. The companies, including Central Union, Taisun Enterprise Co., Fwusow Industry Co., and Formosa Oilseed Processing Co., face charges related to violations of food safety laws, forgery, and fraud.
According to Focus Taiwan, the case began when Central Union reported the contamination on June 30. Investigations revealed that seven batches of soybean-based cooking oil were affected, impacting over 13,000 businesses across Taiwan. Central Union officials, including Chairman Tsai Ching-sung and General Manager Yu Ling-chung, allegedly knew about the increased risk of BaP due to higher heat damage in soybeans imported from Brazil. Despite this, they reportedly relaxed the company's heat-damage standards without implementing additional safety measures.
The officials were aware of abnormal BaP levels in May but failed to take necessary actions or report the findings to the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration. Instead, the contamination was not disclosed to authorities until June 30. Prosecutors assert that 8,478 metric tons of contaminated oil were distributed to Taisun, Fwusow, and Formosa Oilseed for further processing and sale.
Senior officials at the three companies were accused of continuing to sell the contaminated oil despite knowing about the issue. They allegedly did not suspend sales or inform the authorities, leading to the continued sale of tainted products to unsuspecting consumers.
The indictment includes several key figures from the involved companies, such as Fwusow Chairman Hung Yao-kun and Formosa Oilseed General Manager Chang Chih-ping. Central Union also allegedly underreported the amount of contaminated oil, complicating efforts to track and recall affected products.
Prosecutors estimate the companies' illicit gains at NT$887.31 million, with plans to recover substantial sums from each company. Evidence, including electronics and documents, was seized during raids conducted between July 9 and August 4. The court has approved the detention of several executives and the seizure of company assets to aid in the recovery of illicit gains.