Taiwanese oil ban a bad move, says shop owner

The owner of a chain of organic-food shops has accused the government of creating an unnecessary scare with its ban on the import and sale of all edible oil produced in Taiwan.

Health Aims proprietor Rhonda Ting yesterday described the ban as a "stupid move" that had not been adequately explained to shopkeepers, meaning they could not in turn explain it to customers seeking the brands.

Ting, whose chain has 10 branches, was speaking a day after a ban on plant oil was added to the animal oil ban in the wake of the "gutter oil" scandal involving Taiwanese products.

"I think the government has made a very stupid move without any reason," she said. "It's creating a scare and will make people feel all Taiwanese shops are bad. It's very, very unfair to them."

In Wednesday's announcement, the Centre for Food Safety said: "Traders who have the products concerned in their possession should immediately stop using or selling them."

Ting said her shops had taken down a Taiwanese brand of sesame oil that they had been selling for more than 10 years. The latest shipment contained 60 bottles with a total cost of HK$4,200.