CHINA’S top quality watchdog has cautioned against the consumption of food products that may contain recycled cooking oil from Taiwan Province.

    In a statement Saturday, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine ordered local authorities to suspend inspection applications filed by the affected companies and restaurants, and carefully examine their past export records.

    Taiwanese health authorities are investigating around 430 companies which allegedly used recycled cooking oil obtained from restaurants in their products, in the latest food safety scandal to hit the island.

    Taiwan police said two underground factories were busted on suspicion of selling processed waste oils — collected from cookers, fryers and grease traps — including to one that supplied leading food oil manufacturer Chang Guann Co. Another factory allegedly recycled grease from leather processing plants for oils used in animal feeds.

    Chang Guann then sold the oils to at least 430 companies, including a number of leading brands, as lard-based cooking oils. They include food giants Wei Chuan, Chi Mei and Taiwan Sugar, popular chain store 85℃, Wu Hua Ma and Hawdii Foods Co.

    Chang Guann has apologized but said it was unaware that the oils were recycled so it too was a victim in the case. The company said it had bought a total of 243 tons of the oil since it first started purchasing from the factory in February.

    Wei Chuan Foods Corp., the Taiwanese unit of Ting Hsin International Group that owns the Master Kong instant noodle brand, said it has recalled 12 types of products such as meat paste and pork floss since Thursday.

    But Taiwanese authorities fear some of the tainted oil may have gone to snack shops and night markets, which would be hard to track.

    (SD-Agencies)