To support the investigation agency’s work, the Department of Health of the Kaohsiung City Government took 4 samples on September 5 and sent them to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. These include 3 waste recycled oil specimens from the oil-water separating tank of the factory that belongs to Hu Hsin-te, and 1 unprocessed raw oil specimen taken from the oil tank of Chang Guann Co., Ltd. The FDA worked tirelessly to complete tests for the following pollutants: heavy metals (arsenic, lead, mercury, copper, tin, chromium), acid value, aflatoxin, total polar material (TPM), benzo(a)pyrene, and animal ingredients (cattle, swine, poultry, fish). Test results show that the acid value and benzo(a)pyrene of the waste recycled oil specimens from the factory that belongs to Hu Hsin-te are relatively high, while other test items are either undetected or within a normal range. On the other hand, the acid value of the unprocessed raw oil specimen from Chang Guann is relatively high, while other test items are either undetected or within a normal range. In addition, the FDA’s tests on acid value, TPM, and benzo(a)pyrene of the “Chuan Tung Fragrant Lard Oil” produced by Chang Guann are either undetected or within a normal range. Therefore, determination of oil quality cannot rely solely on test results; the key lies in controlling the material’s supply chain. Oil produced from sub-standard materials are illegal according to Article 15 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, and should be confiscated and destroyed. 

On this Mid-Autumn Festival, 570 workers of the FDA worked tirelessly to complete the tests related to the investigation of this inferior lard incident. Apart from the 4 specimens tested this time, further tests on specimens in relation to this incident will be carried out in the future. The FDA is committed to safeguarding the health of citizens. 

The test results of the 4 specimens submitted by Department of Health of the Kaohsiung City Government are as follows: 

1. Recycled oil of the factory that belongs to Hu Hsin-te: (1) Heavy metals: arsenic, lead, mercury, copper, tin, and chromium are undetected or within a normal range. Although 0.01~0.02 ppm arsenic is detected, the range does not exceed the health standard limit for cooking oil (0.1 ppm). (2) Aflatoxin and TPM are not detected. (3) Acid value is 2.7~3.0 mg KOH/g fat, which is higher than the CNS cooking lard standard (1.3 mg KOH/g fat) and the oil replacement standard of frying oil (2.0 mg KOH/g fat). (4) Benzo(a)pyrene content is 0.9~6.6 ppb, with 2 specimens showing a content higher than the EU cooking oil standard and Taiwan’s corporate guidelines for cooking oil (2 ppb). (5) In terms of animal ingredients, only a trace amount of swine is positively confirmed, and a negative result is shown for cattle, poultry, and fish content. From the relatively high acid value and benzo(a)pyrene content, it can be deduced that the 3 specimens probably came from recycled frying oil. 

2. Raw oil of Chang Guann: (1) Heavy metals: arsenic, lead, mercury, copper, tin, and chromium are undetected or within a normal range. Although 0.03 ppm arsenic is detected, it is lower than the health standard for cooking oil (0.1 ppm). (2) Aflatoxin and TPM are not detected. (3) Acid value is 2.3 mg KOH/g fat, which is higher than the CNS cooking lard standard (1.3 mg KOH/g fat) and the oil replacement standard of frying oil (2.0 mg KOH/g fat). (4) Benzo(a)pyrene content is 1.1 ppb, meeting the EU cooking oil standard and Taiwan’s corporate guidelines for cooking oil (2 ppb).