Premier Jiang Yi-huah told the legislature the government will focus on restoring public confidence in food safety before settling issues of administrative responsibility for the recent oil scandal. The scandal centers around a major supplier that was found to be selling waste oil to food businesses for food production.
Speaking Tuesday, Jiang said he has held multiple consultations with various ministries on the oil scandal. On Wednesday, he will have another meeting to address problems with regulations, the food safety inspection system, and the implementation of food safety rules. He said the government will determine which officials hold responsibility for the oil scandal after this preliminary work is complete.
Health minister Chiu Wen-ta said Tuesday that any vendors that have not taken products containing the tainted oil will face stiff fines.
Meanwhile, economics minister Woody Duh has said that the oil scandal has not done much damage to the reputation of Taiwanese food products abroad. This is because most food products made in Taiwan are consumed domestically. But he estimated that the oil scandal has done considerable damage to Taiwan’s food-related industries.
He estimated the scandal has seen 1% of these industries’ profits disappear. That’s around NT$5 billion, or nearly US$166 million. He promised government assistance for small- and mid-size companies needing a bailout in the wake of the damage from the oil scandal.