Fines, Arrests and Legal Changes: Inside Taiwan’s Tainted Oil Scandal

Published
Updated

By Devin Tsai/John Su/Scott Huang/Irene Lin

Open in App

A nationwide food safety scandal erupted in Taiwan after shipments of Brazilian soybeans with high heat damage led to benzopyrene (BaP)—a Group 1 carcinogen—contaminating cooking oil produced by Central Union Oil Corporation. Despite initial failed lab tests, delayed reporting held back government intervention for months. Medical and food science experts break down the chemical risks, refining solutions, and why lawmakers are overhauling the food safety law to prevent future supply chain lapses.

Health