The Consumer Protection Association of Taiwan yesterday accepted petitions to represent 20,621 teachers and students who ingested food products made from adulterated food oils in a lawsuit against four companies for a total of NT$3.7 billion (US$118.5 million) following its legal victory against Chang Chi Foodstuff Factory Co (大統長基) in May this year.
According to the association, the adulterated oil incident greatly affected people’s health, especially that of students, and the committee is determined to stand up for their rights.
In 2013, Chang Chi was found to have mixed olive oil with cotton seed and sodium copper chlorophyllin, and marketed the adulterated oils as “extra virgin,” meaning it is made without chemicals and industrial refining.
Photo: Huang Chia-lin, Taipei Times
The total number of people in the joint subrogation lawsuit exceeds 20,000 and marks a new record for group lawsuits on consumer rights damages, the association said, adding that it intended to ask for NT$180,000 in damages per person, totaling NT$3.7 billion.
According to Consumer Protection Association lawyer Hsu Chung-sheng (許仲盛), three individuals have provided medical evidence that their health has been affected.
One second-year senior-high school student in Taichung claimed that she suffered pathological changes to her breasts as a direct result of eating adulterated oils, Hsu said.
The other two are female staff in Kaohsiung City’s Siaolin Elementary School who claimed that the ingestion of adulterated food oils has caused a worsening of cardiovascular diseases and heart problems, Hsu said.
“For each of these individuals we are asking an additional NT$500,000 on the base NT$180,000,” Hsu said.
The association’s lawyers submitted the case to the Kaohsiung District Court against Ting Hsin Oil and Fat Industrial Co (頂新製油實業), Cheng I Food Co (正義股份), Chang Guann Co (強冠企業) and Beei Hae Oil and Fats Co (北海油脂) yesterday.
Chang Guann was accused of purchasing recycled food oil provided by the owner of an unlicensed Pingtung-based factory, allegedly run by Kuo Lieh-cheng (郭烈成) in September last year and selling the oil.
Beei Hae Oil and Fats Co had allegedly mixed food-grade oils with oils intended for animal feed in November last year.
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