Health authorities have fined the Changguan substandard lard case a cumulative total of over NT$80 million

The Food and Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare said today that consumer protection officers and inspection personnel have formed a joint inspection team; starting at midnight on the 16th, in all counties and cities nationwide, anyone found with "Quantong Fragrant Lard Oil" and the 24 problem oil products, including those put on shelves for sale or used as raw materials to manufacture food, will be fined NT$60,000 to NT$50 million in accordance with the law, while those who refuse, obstruct, or evade inspection will be fined NT$30,000 to NT$3 million.

As of now, including Changguan Company, a total of 14 businesses have been penalized, with cumulative fines totaling NT$80.72 million, including the NT$50 million fine imposed on Changguan Company by the Kaohsiung City Health Bureau.

Health bureaus in all counties and cities began today confirming whether problem products from manufacturers within their jurisdictions have been taken off shelves and destroyed, and reporting the tonnage; those that have completed destruction will be hidden from the published list. For oil products returned to the original manufacturer, the county and city health bureaus must record the quantity; those matching the seized quantity will also be hidden from the published list.

The FDA said no new problem products were added today. Regarding the Chun Shui Tang product newly added yesterday evening (the 15th), the FDA said it will be included together after consolidating the data with products already destroyed or returned to the company.

As for the matter of beef tallow imported from Australia by a company under the Ting Hsin Group that was suspected of being feed-grade but labeled as food-grade, the FDA said that as of this afternoon it had not yet received an official reply from Australia regarding the authenticity of its private certification of food-grade data. Deputy Director-General Chiang Yu-mei said she will urge Australian officials to respond. In addition, regarding the refining process of Cheng I oil products, the FDA has received a request from the Kaohsiung City Health Bureau for assistance in inspection and will invite oil and fat experts to conduct a visit.

Chiang Yu-mei said that when food raw materials are imported, if they are declared as food, they must be made into food; if declared as feed, they must be made into feed. Those declared as feed cannot flow back to be used as food.

The FDA also tallied that Changguan's lard products sold abroad number 12 items, with destination regions being Hong Kong, China and Macao, China. Problem products made using Changguan oil products number 14 items, sold to 12 countries, all of which have now been notified. Changguan Company is currently being fined NT$50 million by the Kaohsiung City Health Bureau under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation for "purchasing deteriorated or spoiled raw materials"; as for the parts involving "adulteration and counterfeiting" and "use of additives not permitted by the central competent authority," these involve criminal offenses and have been referred to judicial authorities for investigation.

FDA Section Chief Wu Ming-mei said that Taoyuan's "Liu Mama Cai Bao" (Liu Mama vegetable buns), which used the problem oil products, was very cooperative during the health bureau's inspection, but afterward strongly denied it in the media and said it would file a lawsuit against the Taoyuan Health Bureau; this act has violated Article 7 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation for failing to self-report, and can be fined NT$30,000 to NT$3 million, and also involves false advertising under Article 28, which can be fined NT$40,000 to NT$4 million.

Businesses that similarly violated the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation by failing to self-report also include Gongyan Integrated Marketing Company and Fochen Company. Because Wei Chuan Company actively reported its problem products, no news has yet been received of the Taipei City Health Bureau imposing a fine on Wei Chuan.