Dingxin oil exceeds heavy metal limits, copper nine times over the standard, further testing for dioxins to continue

As for just how harmful the Big Happiness feed oil imported by Ting Hsin really is, Chiang Yu-mei, acting director-general of the Food and Drug Administration, explained that on October 24 and 25, the Changhua District Prosecutors Office took samples of lard and beef tallow from the oil tanks at Ting Hsin's Pingtung plant, 7 specimens in total, as well as 5 specimens of coconut oil. Test results found that the levels of heavy metals such as lead and copper all exceeded the limit standards.

Amid concerns about other risks, on the 3rd and 4th the FDA sent the specimens to the National Cheng Kung University laboratory for further testing of whether dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls were present in excessive amounts. However, Chiang Yu-mei said this type of testing is more complicated and results would not be available until at least two weeks later.

Lin Yu-fen, chief of the Food Sanitation Section of the Changhua County Public Health Bureau, said that under current regulations the standards for lead and copper are 0.4 ppm and 0.1 ppm respectively. The most seriously over-limit specimens reached as high as 0.73 ppm and 0.9 ppm, exceeding the standards by 1.8 times and 9 times respectively. In addition, although heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury and zinc were not detected, a trace amount of chromium at 0.08 ppm was found, but the regulations do not set a chromium standard for oils and fats. As for acid value, the national standard (CNS) is 2.5 mg KOH/g, while the beef tallow reached as high as 5.8 mg KOH/g, more than two times higher.