(Update) 27 new items added to Beihai Oil's downstream products; first batch of Ting Hsin oil products passes dioxin test; FDA to release factory inspection report on Friday

In response to outside suspicion over whether the imported oil products from Ting Hsin contain dioxin, the first batch of oil products sent to the Cheng Kung University laboratory for dioxin testing by the Food and Drug Administration on the 3rd of this month has yielded results. FDA Acting Director-General Chiang Yu-mei said that the report sent by the Cheng Kung University laboratory was received at noon today. Among the first batch of 10 oil products, 1 was Cheng I lard, 3 were Ting Hsin lard, 4 were Ting Hsin beef tallow, and the other 2 belonged to Ting Hsin's upstream suppliers. All test results comply with the national dioxin limit standards.

Among the test samples, the dioxin levels in lard ranged from 0.087 to 0.637 picograms, against a standard of 1 picogram; for beef tallow, the levels were 0.217 to 0.863 picograms, against a standard of 2.5 picograms. None exceeded the limit standards. At present, a second batch of samples is still undergoing dioxin testing.

The Tainan District Prosecutors Office announced on the 3rd that Beihai Oil Company was involved in adulterating its products with inedible feed oil. According to confirmation by the Tainan City Government Health Bureau, a total of 6 lard product items were produced. The FDA had originally expected downstream businesses to complete voluntary reporting by 6 p.m. on the 5th. Today, 25 more items were added, including Taoyuan Tangmen Food's pan-fried pancakes, Triangle Shop Hakka vegetable buns, and Pan Ji Tianjin scallion pancakes. Among the newly added items in other counties and cities, scallion pancakes and fried shallots accounted for the largest share.

Nationwide, a total of 111 downstream food material sellers, manufacturers and others had purchased oil products from Beihai Company. According to reports from county and city health bureaus so far, a cumulative total of 90 products were made, and 85,819 kg were removed from shelves. Among the items newly added today, scallion pancakes and fried shallots accounted for the largest share, including Taoyuan's Pan Ji Tianjin scallion pancakes, Chiayi Chen Hsiang Food Company's frozen scallion pancakes, Shandong scallion oil pancakes, jade scallion pancakes, Zhubei Hejiaxiang's handmade scallion pancakes, Chiayi Liji scallion pancakes, and Miaoli Shizong Trading Company's scallion pancakes. Fried shallots included those from Taichung Yongli Trading Company, Tainan Ruicheng Hao, and the Tainan City Jiali Fruit and Vegetable Market Production Cooperative.

In addition, the FDA recently announced the inspection results of 27 large domestic edible oil and fat plants with capital of more than 30 million yuan. It was announced that during the period from 102 to 103 of the Republic of China calendar, including Far East Oil and Fat Co., Ltd., Formosa Oil and Fat Co., Ltd. oil plant, Wei Dan Enterprise Co., Ltd. Shalu No. 2 Plant, Taishan Enterprise Co., Ltd. Tianzhong Plant, and Weiyi Enterprise Co., Ltd., 5 major plants had oil product transactions with manufacturers such as Ting Hsin, Chang Guann, and Cheng I. As for the factory inspection reports from each county and city, FDA Acting Director-General Chiang Yu-mei promised today that the factory inspection data reported back by each county and city would be provided on Friday.