1,300 tons of carcinogenic cooking oil has made its way into supply chain

1,300 tons of carcinogenic cooking oil has made its way into supply chain

2026-07-02

Taiwan has been hit by another food safety crisis. Soybean cooking oil manufactured in April by the local Taiwanese company Central Union Oil has been deemed carcinogenic. The problematic oil’s benzo[a]pyrene levels are four times the legal limit, and, to make matters worse, 1,300 tons has made its way onto store shelves. Taichung City Government has halted the company’s oil production and the problematic oil is being recalled.

Tsai Wen-che
Taichung Office of Food and Drug Safety
For this particular batch of soybean cooking oil, benzo(a)pyrene was detected in 1,300 tons.

Tseng Tzu-Chan
Director, Taichung City Health Bureau
The first batch of oil was shipped somewhere between April 8 to April 10. Currently, we’ve found about 20 products in the downstream supply chain.

Mr. Chiang
Central Union Oil
On July 1, we were notified to stop producing, processing, and shipping our cooking oil. Our company is currently in crisis management mode, as we’re focused on controlling risk and then finding out who’s responsible. In order to deal with this incident, instead of passively responding, we’re actively managing the situation. Therefore, we’ve invited experts to assist us in order to discover and resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

The problematic cooking oil manufactured in April was already delivered to three wholesalers: Fwusow Industry has three types, Fopco has 4, and Taisun has 10. The companies were ordered to remove all the types from their shelves, and Central Union Oil has issued an apology. On June 29, Central Union Oil was informed by a third party inspection that benzo[a]pyrene limits had been exceeded, and the next day the oil manufacturer both notified the three wholesalers to stop shifting and contacted the authorities. The oil manufacturer emphasized that, in accordance with current laws, every six months it sends oil to be inspected. A task force has been formed to determine what went wrong.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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1300噸問題油流竄全台中聯油脂道歉.中市府勒令停工

2026-07-02

國內油脂大廠"中聯油脂"，驚傳食安油風暴，該公司4月份製造的一批大豆沙拉油，被檢出苯駢芘超標四倍，而這批問題油多達1300公噸，流向下游廠商，目前台中市府已勒令停工，通知廠商下架回收。

[[聲音來源:台中市食安處主任秘書蔡文哲]]
“特定批次大豆沙拉油，檢出苯駢芘總量約有1300公噸。”

[[台中市衛生局長曾梓展]]
“4月8日到10日就開始出貨了，那目前我們所掌握的下游的品項，大約有20項。”

[[中聯油脂管理課襄理蔣先生]]
“在7月1日也通知我們停止沙拉油生產加工出貨，公司這邊秉持，先控制風險再釐清責任危機處理模式，面對這次事件，從被動因應轉主動治理，將邀請專家協助，以最快時間找出問題進行改善。”

問題油品，四月份製造，已流向下游三家公司，分別是福壽公司3款，福懋油脂4款，泰山企業10款油品，通通要求下架回收。中聯油脂發出道歉聲明，還原時間點，6月29日接獲自主第三方檢驗報告後，發現超標，30日通知三家公司停止出貨，通報主管機關，另外也強調依據現行法規，每半年抽檢送驗，針對本次異常事件，成立專案小組查明原因。

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A customer sifts through a NT$160 bowl of seafood porridge, disappointed to find only a few pieces of squid. Feeling ripped off, he returned the meal and called the police.

-It’s really too ridiculous!
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-Yeah, I’ve already recorded it.

The police helped to settle the dispute, making sure the customer got his money back.

-160
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- Okay, we can do that.
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Still fuming, even after he got his money back, the customer posted online to warn others, saying he bought a seafood porridge while traveling in Taichung and asking whether he was scammed. How is it NT$160 with just two little shrimp and a few pieces of squid? He asked the store, which said the seafood porridge has always been like that.

Voice of Mr. Tseng
Customer
The seafood had clearly been chopped up and frozen. I think it was absolutely awful. I showed the police after they came, and even they started laughing.

The store in question was at ASEAN Square close to Taichung Station. Is NT$160 too much for a porridge with so little in it? Let’s see what the locals think.

I think it’s a ripoff. Considering Taichung prices, it should be NT$70.

It’s expensive for this area.

The menu lists the seafood porridge for NT$150 rather than NT$160, but the store said the menu hadn’t been updated. But why is there so little seafood?

- How many shrimp do you put in?
- About five, but maybe the chef put in less that day. We refunded him, but he still called the police.

Mr. Tseng
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She didn’t want to give me back my money at first, but once she knew I called the police, she said they would give me a refund.

The picture of the porridge on the wall shows four big shrimp and plenty of seafood. Compared with what was served, it’s no wonder the customer was angry.

Voice of Chen Yen-hung
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The photo on the wall is an advertisement. As the business manager, you must ensure that there is no discrepancy between the advertisement and the actual product.

False advertising may violate the Fair Trade Act. In a situation like this, people can gather evidence and file a complaint online, with help from consumer protection authorities.

I bought a seafood porridge while traveling in Taichung. Was I scammed?? How is it NT$160 with just two little shrimp and a few pieces of squid?? I asked the store, and they said the seafood porridge has always been like that.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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A man lies on a hospital bed waiting for his girlfriend to come back, when his power bank suddenly starts smoking. Startled, he jumps up and flees from the smoke. Hospital staff quickly grab a fire extinguisher and use it on the smoking battery.

Hsu Chi-wei
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The power bank started emitting smoke and making popping sounds. Hospital staff immediately used a fire extinguisher to stop the smoke and then placed the power bank in water to cool it down.

The incident occurred in the emergency room at Hanming Christian Hospital in Changhua. Thanks to fire prevention training and lithium battery safety videos, hospital staff responded quickly. They followed the correct procedure, first extinguishing the smoke, then submerging the device to cool it. While fire extinguishers can temporarily suppress flames, they cannot stop the underlying thermal reaction that causes power banks to smoke.

Chiu Yu-jui
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Taipei high school’s robotics team overcomes odds at event in Turkey

For the average high schooler, winning a single game at an international robotics competition in which your machine needs to be able to shoot balls through the air, into a target seems hard enough. But finding success after having Turkish customs seize your machine parts sounds like mission impossible. Refusing to quit, a team of high schoolers from Taipei taped together a robot that somehow won 4 qualification games in a row while also setting the daily record for points.

Hailing from Taiwan, this team of high schoolers studies in Taipei at VIS International School, an experimental education institution. They flew to Istanbul, Turkey, where they’re competing under the most difficult of circumstances.

Their faces may look calm, but their sweaty palms reveal how they truly feel; they’d packed up all their robot equipment, yet when they arrived in Turkey, customs seized all their parts. Not willing to throw in the towel, they borrowed tools and spare parts from the teams of other countries. They ended up assembling a robot that was essentially held together by tape, thereby forcing them to switch up their tactics. Unfazed, the team won 4 qualification matches while also setting the daily record for most points.

Member of public
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It’s really inspiring. What they did symbolizes the spirit of Taiwan, to never give up.

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Impressed
Just amazing. Even after having their parts confiscated, they still were able to use all the resources they could find there.

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Facing what seemed like mission impossible, the Taiwanese team was able to think on their feet and somehow find a way to win.

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73-yo woman’s body pulled from bottom of truck after getting hit

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The ambulance rushes to the scene. Someone just got hit by a vehicle and is stuck at the bottom.

The victim, who’s wearing a pink shirt, was dragged to the bottom of the truck. A dozen passers-by lifted the vehicle with their bare hands to free her.

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Voice of Lee Chen-ping
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When the ambulance was about to leave, her condition suddenly deteriorated. She lost her breathing and pulse. So I got off the vehicle and helped the rescuer who was trying to save her.

The woman who was hit by a pickup truck and got dragged underneath the vehicle even lost her vital signs soon after she was freed. Fortunately, rescuers were able to restore her pulse before sending her to the hospital for treatment.

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The Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund is celebrating 30 years, and today the results brought about by the Taiwan ICDF in the last three decades were on full display. This pink eco-friendly athleisure shirt is the result of a collaborative effort between Taiwan and its diplomatic ally Saint Kitts and Nevis, and this gallery of photos allows viewers to witness all that Taiwan has done with its partners in the last 3 decades. However, China’s use of dollar diplomacy to put pressure on Taiwan’s diplomatic allies has also got the media’s attention.

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Taiwan is doing more than just helping diplomatic partners with farming technology, as the island country is also incorporating its AI capabilities as well as ICT technology. With its multi-faceted approach, Taiwan is seeking to improve the livelihoods of its friends abroad.

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From his wheelchair, the artist Liu Ching-yuan happily looks at his painting on the wall, gesturing to his caregiver.

-He keeps saying that he painted this.

From scenes of daily life to flowers, butterflies, and horses, Liu’s distinctive, colorful paintings reflect how he sees the world. Liu, now 50 years old, has been deaf and mute since childhood, making communication difficult. But he found a way to express himself through art. Fourteen years ago, he was placed under the care of the Ruozhuer Foundation in Chiayi, which recently organized his first solo exhibition.

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Peng Chia-ju
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To be able to share the beauty of creation and help the Ruozhuer Foundation is a very moving and rare opportunity.

Undeterred by his disabilities, Liu expresses himself through his vivid artwork. In his first solo exhibition, he raised over a million dollars to give back to those in need.

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Taipower burying power lines to protect electricity supply in disasters

The typhoons that ravage Taiwan in the summer and autumn months often knock out power to homes and businesses in their path. High winds downing power lines and posts are also a concern as extreme weather becomes more common, even while power demand surges. Burying power lines is therefore a priority in many cities. FTV recently went 18 stories underground to give you an up-close look at how these teams are safeguarding power supplies for the future.

Jumbles of power lines criss-crossing old alleys like this are often a target of criticism.

To beautify communities and protect the supply of electricity, Taipower in the past few years has been hard at work burying power lines. FTV recently visited to give you an exclusive look at how it’s done.

- You do this every day. You go 10 stories below ground and climb back up. There’s no elevator.
- There’s no elevator.

Descending the staircase to a depth of 55 meters—equivalent to at least 18 stories—leads to the construction site. A cleanroom sealed with transparent PVC film minimizes intrusion by impurities that could compromise conductivity.

Lin Kuan-wen
Taipower contractor
When dust gets in, it first affects conductivity. When the voltage is this high, the particles may heat up as they pass through and in the most extreme cases could ignite.

They’re not only working underground, but also below the Keelung River, facing the constant threats of fire, water leaks, and toxic gas buildup. Air quality must be monitored around the clock to keep everyone safe.

Lin Kuan-wen
Taipower contractor
This one is a carbon dioxide meter. It measures concentrations of CO2 in the area. This one’s called a four-in-one gas monitor. It displays measurements for hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, oxygen concentrations, and combustible gas levels. An alarm will sound when it detects an abnormal reading.

Tsai Chih-meng
Taipower vice president
The work is done underground, so usually there’s a low accident rate.

Currently, nearly half of power lines in the country have been buried underground. In the outlying Penghu County where wind fortifications are essential, more than 90% have been buried. However, getting that figure up to 100% will require careful work to achieve the dual aims of disaster mitigation and aesthetic improvement.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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