The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday said it would send specialists and local health departments to visit camellia oil factories to help them improve manufacturing procedures next month, as the eighth camellia seed oil maker was found to have a product containing excessive levels of carcinogen benzopyrene on Friday.
The Taipei Department of Health on Friday evening said it received a report from Taoyuan Department of Public Health saying that its random inspection found a batch of Mayouche Premium Cold-Pressed Camellia Oil (麻油車頂級冷壓苦茶油) by Uni-Procurement Co (統購實業) sold in Taipei was tested to have a benzopyrene level above the legal limit.
Following a major benzopyrene-contaminated cooking oil scandal that was first reported in June, camellia oil from seven companies was found to have benzopyrene levels exceeding the legal limit since July 21, with the eighth company discovered on Friday.
Photo: CNA
The other companies include Aconpure Green Technology Inc (連淨), Yuan Chuen Oil Mill (源春), NONG70 Biotechnology Co (農七十), DeChang (德昌油行), Yuan-fa Oil Mill (源發), Sin Long Fa Co (鑫隆), Hand-ling Tin Co (翰霖貿易).
Uni-Procurement Co is registered in Chiayi City, so the Taoyuan Department of Public Health had contacted the health departments in Taipei and Chiayi City about the case for follow-up operations, Wei Jen-ting (魏任廷), head of the FDA’s southern center, said yesterday.
Chiayi City’s Health Bureau had inspected the company on Friday and found that the batch of camellia oil used camellia seeds imported from China, 636 bottles in total, of which 435 have been removed from shelves, and 201 were already sold and are being recalled, he said.
The company has been ordered to temporarily suspend camellia oil production and sales, he added.
In order to improve food safety management, the agency has begun holding exchange sessions with the industry, including one held in Yunlin County on Tuesday last week and another that is being held in Chiayi on Wednesday, to explain the risk of benzopyrene in oil production and promote the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system, Wei said.
After the exchange sessions, the FDA would task specialists and local health departments to visit the oil companies to help them improve manufacturing procedures and labeling next month, with the eight companies listed as priority subjects, he said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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