The Cabinet has expressed its support for an appeal in the case of tycoon Wei Ying-chung. That was the word from Cabinet spokesman Sun Lih-chyun on Friday.
Wei was indicted last October after his Ting Hsin Oil and Fat Industrial Co. was found to have sold lard mixed with oil intended for use as animal feed. The use of animal-grade feed in products meant for human consumption shook public confidence in food safety.
The Taiwan Changhua District Court handed down a not guilty verdict in November. Prosecutors appealed the verdict on Thursday. Meanwhile activists have responded to the verdict by organizing a march for food safety in Taipei, scheduled to take place Saturday.
Cabinet spokesman Sun Lih-chyun told reporters Friday that documents show the Vietnam-based manufacturer of the feed oil does not produce oil for use in food. Sun said that the use of the oil in food products was therefore a violation of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation.
The Cabinet says that since the oil scandal, it has set up a food safety office and introduced eight measures designed to strengthen food safety. The Cabinet has asked members of the public to support an open, transparent judicial process, and says that it will continue cracking down on companies selling tainted food products.