Greater Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) yesterday threw his support behind food products manufactured by pastry shops in the city in a bid to restore consumer confidence in the industry, which has been crippled by the recent recycled waste oil scandal.
At a morning press conference at Taichung City Hall, Hu and several city government officials ate sun cakes — a popular local specialty — to reassure the public that the pastries were not made using recycled oil and were safe to consume.
“Ever since the tainted lard oil scare, no one has been willing to purchase [the city’s pastries] regardless of whether they are made with [lard] oil or not,” Hu said.
While the period after the Mid-Autumn Festival is usually a slack season for pastry manufacturers, the oil scandal has made it worse this year, with sales plunging by 30 to 70 percent, the mayor said.
It would be negligent on the part of the city government if it did not step in and do something about the situation, “especially as there is absolutely no problem with these desserts,” he said.
“Of the approximately 550 pastry shops in the city, only one or two had unknowingly used tainted lard oil in the production of their products...We cannot let such a vital industry bear the brunt of the food scare for no reason,” he added.
Hu was referring to the 25 kinds of edible lard oil products manufactured by Greater Kaohsiung-based Chang Guann Co (強冠企業) that were allegedly tainted with recycled waste oil collected from restaurant fryers and animal feed oil.
More than 1,200 food makers have been embroiled in the scandal began.
Taichung Bakery Association director-general Chou Tzu-liang (周子良) said that the city’s sun-cake industry earned nearly NT$1.1 billion (US$37 million) last year, but the business has dropped by an average of 30 percent since the lard oil scare.
“In view of this, the association and the local health bureau will endeavor to promote the food industry registration system [launched by the Food and Drug Administration] in the hope of reinvigorating the business of the affected pastry shops,” Chou said.
To help boost sales and restore the industry’s reputation, seven bakeries in the city are offering a “buy two, get one free” deal until Sunday, Chou added.
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