New | Some traders, eateries on 'gutter oil' list of shame protest their innocence
Some traders on government list say they have never used edible oils from Taiwan, let alone from company at heart of the scandal
Some shops were left to protest their innocence yesterday after finding themselves on a Centre for Food Safety list which named 383 businesses suspected of using tainted lard from the Taiwanese firm at the centre of a "gutter oil" scandal.
Some of the traders said they had never used lard from Taiwan.
There were others who admitted having used lard from the troubled Kaohsiung-based cooking oil supplier, Chang Guann - but stressed they stopped as soon as the scandal emerged.
The government's list, released on Sunday night, covers neighbourhood bakeries, restaurants, distributors and even a five-star hotel, the Hyatt Regency in Tsim Sha Tsui.
A Sha Tin outlet of the Butao Ramen chain is on the list. A spokesman for the branch said yesterday: "Our oil is from the Netherlands. We have never used any oil from Taiwan since this shop opened in October."
Likewise, Good Hope Noodle in Mong Kok, which was awarded a Bib Gourmand by Michelin, said that in its 30 or so years in business, lard from Taiwan was never an ingredient as it would use only locally made edible oils.
Secretary for Food and Health Dr Ko Wing-man said officials had collected the 383 names from importers and distributors of the Taiwanese product.