Spokesman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Council Ma Xiaoguang has said that China’s inspection and quarantine agency has begun an initial investigation into whether any tainted lard from Taiwan found its way to stores in China.
Ma was speaking at a routine press conference on Wednesday. He said that authorities in charge of food safety inspections at a national level have asked local inspectors to check import records for the lard. He also said that if any is found, it will be recalled immediately.
Ma said he hoped China and Taiwan can work together on food safety issues in order to guarantee the health and safety of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong authorities confirmed Tuesday that local importers brought 5,400 cans of tainted Taiwanese lard into the territory. They are asking citizens to stop using the lard immediately.
The tainted lard is just one of a number of products found to contain used oil that has been reprocessed. The food safety scandal surrounding the oil has seen many products removed from shelves in Taiwan and left consumers wary.