Taiwan premier bans sale of 235 food companies’ products as ‘gutter oil’ scandal grows
At least 240 tonnes of the oil – recycled from kitchen waste and pig skin by unlicensed factory – were sold to Chang Guann, which supplied food makers, schools and eateries in 22 cities and counties
Taiwanese Premier Jiang Yi-huah today ordered all food and oil products produced by 235 local food companies removed from shelves before Monday, as new findings showed these firms all used “gutter oil” – not suitable for human consumption – bought from a supplier at the centre of a food scare.
Chang Guann – a well known Taiwanese supplier of edible oil – used this gutter oil to produce 780 tonnes of edible lard oil, which is sold to a great number of food companies, eateries, night markets, schools and military compounds in 22 cities and counties in Taiwan, a government spokesman said.
“Premier Jiang was pained to find such a serious irregularity and ordered that relevant authorities and agencies continue their inquiries into the case and mete out severe penalties against those involved in the scandal,” Cabinet spokesman Sun Li-jen said.
He said Jiang convened an emergency meeting early on Friday afternoon with the justice, health, economics, environmental and agriculture ministries to unify government efforts in tackling the case, including finding out whether any of these products had been sold overseas, and what remedies should be taken.