-
By Lin Chih-yi and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer
Taisun Enterprise Co, Fwusow Industry Co, and Formosa Oilseed Processing Co (FOPCO) yesterday recalled edible oil products manufactured by Central Union Oil Corp after a batch was found to contain excessive levels of benzopyrene.
According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Division Director-General Hsu Chao-kai (許朝凱), the FDA was notified by Central Union that batch 315-1150404, produced on April 9, contained excessive levels of benzopyrene during internal testing, and that the affected products had already been distributed to the three companies.
The FDA said it immediately dispatched inspectors to the sites and on Tuesday inspected the warehouses of all three distributors to ensure that recalls were being carried out in accordance with regulations.
Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei Times
The agency also found that Central Union had shipped cooking oil from the same batch on April 8 and April 10. The company later reported that additional internal testing had again confirmed the product failed to meet quality standards.
According to Hsu, Central Union supplied 588 tonnes to FOPCO, 421 tonnes to Fwusow, and 291 tonnes to Taisun.
A total of 15 products, including base oil items from Central Union, have been affected, Hsu said. The three companies have since begun removing the products from shelves and initiating recalls after being notified by the supplier.
He added that authorities will continue to monitor the recall process and have requested a full incident report from Central Union.
Consumers are advised to stop consuming any affected products listed by the companies and to follow return instruction.
Benzopyrene is a type of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) that can form during food processing or result from environmental contamination. Under Taiwan’s Sanitation Standards for Contaminants and Toxins in Foods, the permitted limit is 2 micrograms per kilogram.
In this case, the product was found to contain 8.1 micrograms per kilogram, exceeding the legal limit, Hsu said.