With regard to today’s media report that edible oil manufacturer Chang Guann Co. is suspected of blending recycled oil to make adulterated cooking oil for sale, the company has stopped its manufacturing, processing and sale of the problematic products, ‘Chuan Tung Fragrant Lard Oil’ (15kg and 16kg iron drum and carton packed), and notified customers to recall completely the above two products with the expiration date of March 1, 2015. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) called on businesses in the food industry that had purchased the aforementioned oil products of Chang Guann Co., to kindly return them to the original vendor. 

The FDA has teamed up with officers of the Kaohsiung City Government’s Department of Health to inspect the manufacturing plants on the site. Investigation showed that ‘Chuan Tung Fragrant Lard Oil’ is produced in 15kg and 16kg iron-drum packs. The Department of Health has sealed 2610 15kg iron drum barrels and 620 16kg iron drum barrels (a total of about 49 tons), as well as an 80-ton oil tank on the site. 

According to Paragraph 1 of Article 15 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, food or food additives, if deteriorating or rotten, shall not be used for manufacturing, processing, blending, packaging, transportation, storage, sale, import, export, as a gift, or on public display. The violating party shall be fined NT$60,000 or above, but no more than NT$50 million, as stipulated in Article 44 of the same Act; serious offenders may be ordered to close down, suspend business for a certain period, or the registration of its company, business, or factory may be partly or fully revoked. Once revoked, the registration of food business cannot be reapplied for a whole year.