The Ministry of Health and Welfare has indicated that local food company Namchow Group had orders for imported butter and oils which were meant for industrial use. That’s the word from the Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, Hsu Ming-neng, on Thursday.
This conflicts with earlier statements by Namchow Chairman Chen Fei-long, who said that the butter was meant for human consumption but had been mislabeled as a product for industrial use. Hsu said the company’s actions give way to suspicion, as it seems that Namchow may have been trying to avoid inspections. Manufacturers that try to evade inspections are subject to fines.
Previously, Namchow had said that 5 shipments of butter from Australia, 22 shipments of coconut oil from the Philippines, and a further 3 shipments of palm oil, also from the Philippines, were all meant for industrial use. However, Hsu said Australia later corrected the information and said that the butter was meant for human consumption.
Hsu said his office is still investigating the coconut oil and palm oil coming from the Philippines.