Oil safety guarantees invalid - Wei Chuan and Ting Hsin suspected of using Da Tung olive oil to adulterate high-priced oil products
The domestic cooking oil safety storm continues to spread, and well-known major manufacturers Wei Chuan and Ting Hsin have also been caught. The Ministry of Health and Welfare held a press conference this afternoon to announce that Ting Hsin Group's factory in Pingtung is suspected of using Chang Gui olive oil from Ta Tung to adulterate high-priced oil products, manufacturing products such as Healthy Kitchen olive oil and grapeseed oil on an OEM basis for the Wei Chuan Group. Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Hsu Ming-neng said that county and city health bureaus have already been ordered to conduct a thorough investigation, and if Ting Hsin OEM-manufactured Wei Chuan-related oil products are found, they will all be removed from shelves.
The day before yesterday (11/1) was the government's "D-Day" for the cooking oil safety campaign. Health bureaus in all 22 counties and cities mobilized 805 person-times to inspect the labeling of raw materials and additives in cooking oil sold on the market. As of 13:00 this afternoon, a total of 1,922 sales venues and food and beverage establishments and 7,665 oil products had been inspected, among which 129 items had labeling that did not comply with regulations, or were previously identified as substandard oil products that had not yet been removed from shelves.
Yesterday, 4 verification results for "fatty acid composition of oil products not fully compliant" were also released. Well-known major manufacturer Taishan DOMINGO imported pure grapeseed oil, Jian Feng 100% premium pure olive oil, Carrefour extra virgin olive oil, and Jiu Pin Yuan selected white sesame oil were judged to be compliant, while the remaining 7 items are still under verification.
Hsu Ming-neng pointed out that according to the results of the Pingtung County Government's on-site inspection of the factory, a total of 21 oil products were OEM-manufactured by Ting Hsin Industrial and produced by Wei Chuan, using Chang Gui olive oil from Ta Tung as an ingredient, packaged as Italian blended oil, olive oil, and other products, and sold at high prices. "This involves economic crime and fraud," and all will be transferred to prosecutors and investigators for handling. According to Hsu Ming-neng's account, during the health bureau's factory inspection, it unexpectedly discovered more than 100 kg of "Ta Tung Chang Gui olive oil" drums placed on the floor of the Ting Hsin oil factory, which seemed suspicious, and only then did Wei Chuan admit to using Ta Tung blended oil.
Another well-known oil manufacturer, Formosa, had 6 non-compliant oil products found yesterday. Because there was deliberate concealment during the inspection process, an additional fine of 3 million was imposed.
Feng Jun-lan, director of the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Regional Management Center, pointed out that Wei Chuan signed an affidavit on November 1, declaring that none of its oil products involved illegality or untrue labeling, and today 21 oil products were again found to be adulterated. But Hsu Ming-neng pointed out that although Wei Chuan had signed the affidavit, Ting Hsin Industrial's Pingtung factory, which manufactures on an OEM basis for Wei Chuan, had not signed an affidavit, leaving consumers completely confused.
Feng Jun-lan explained that the most important "affidavit" action in the cooking oil safety campaign is to force manufacturers to clear themselves and to help prosecutors, investigators, and local governments impose heavier penalties. "Those unwilling to sign affidavits, we inspect first; those who commit violations again after signing, we will ask prosecutors, investigators, and local governments to consider heavier penalties." To avoid the loophole of "Ting Hsin processing, Wei Chuan shelving" appearing again, the Ministry of Health and Welfare also stressed that in the future it will strengthen horizontal connections and cooperation among counties and cities, and pursue problem oil products through a nationwide network.
As for Ting Hsin Group, only a few days ago its chairman Wei Ying-chiao came forward to call on peers in the oil industry to have a conscience, boasting that "no one sees the compounding, but Heaven knows the intent." Today it was found to have used Ta Tung's black-hearted oil production. The group officially issued a statement saying that "at the first opportunity, we proactively sealed off Ta Tung Chang Gui-related raw material oil, and are now actively cooperating with the Pingtung County Health Bureau and prosecutors and investigators in inspection, and will clarify the facts as quickly as possible." Wei Chuan, which commissioned Ting Hsin for OEM manufacturing, pointed out that all of the company's edible oil products had passed tests for "gossypol" and "copper chlorophyll," confirming that they are safe and free of concerns, and that tests of the fatty acid composition of all edible oil products also showed no abnormalities.
But Hsu Ming-neng stressed that if a manufacturer uses Ta Tung's non-compliant oil in the upstream manufacturing process, "regardless of whether downstream products ultimately test positive for copper chlorophyll, they will all be regarded as non-compliant oil products." If Wei Chuan has already used Ta Tung oil products as raw materials, presenting relevant test certificates is of little significance.
Wei Chuan also came forward this afternoon to apologize to society, announcing that all 21 oil products would be removed from shelves and that consumer returns would be accepted, while again stressing that product test results are safe and free of concerns.