Taichung: Prosecutors in Taichung have launched an investigation into the presence of excessive levels of a carcinogen in cooking oil supplied by Central Union Oil Corp., a company based in Taichung. The focus of the investigation is to determine the source of contamination and whether Central Union should face criminal charges.

According to Focus Taiwan, the investigation zeroes in on approximately 1,300 metric tons of soybean oil produced by Central Union. The oil was found to contain 8.1 micrograms per kilogram of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), far exceeding Taiwan's legal limit of 2 parts per billion for edible oils. Despite efforts to recall the tainted product starting July 1, authorities have not disclosed the amount recovered.

The Taichung District Prosecutors Office revealed that an interagency task force suspects the high BaP levels might be due to contaminated raw materials or flaws in the manufacturing process. Investigators have already inspected the company's facilities and seized relevant records for further analysis.

The investigation aims to assess potential violations of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation and the Criminal Code. The case was officially opened on July 3, with coordination among the Taichung City Food and Drug Safety Department, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA), and the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau.

In a related development, the TFDA reported an increase in the number of affected downstream businesses, rising to 360 from 257, involving 18 products. The agency has mandated precautionary recalls of all raw oils, blended oils, and processed foods containing at least 20 percent of the contaminated oil by midnight Monday.

TFDA Director-General Chiang Chih-kang announced that Taiwan's major edible oil refiners are now required to enhance inspections by testing every imported soybean shipment or production batch for BaP.

During a legislative committee meeting, Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief Chuang Jui-hsiung questioned whether Central Union concealed the contamination issue for nearly three months. Chuang alleged that Namchow Group, a downstream manufacturer, detected the high carcinogen levels and alerted Central Union in April, but the company continued production before reporting to the TFDA on June 30.

Chuang also accused major shareholders Taisun Enterprise Co., Fwusow Industry Co., and Formosa Oilseed Processing Co. of complicity, suggesting a delay to avoid disrupting Central Union's board election in June. He noted that Central Union Chairman Tsai Ching-sung also chairs Formosa Oilseed, implying the shareholder companies were likely aware of the contamination.