In mid-May 2011, the Republic of China (ROC) authorities reported that two Taiwanese companies,[3] Yu Shen Chemical Co. and Pin Han Perfumery Co., were using DEHP in clouding agents the firms manufactured.
[10] Some media reports, including in The Economist, conclude that Taiwan's former reputation as a reliable and safe food manufacturing country had been damaged.
[10] Taiwanese prosecutors alleged that one of the companies, Yu Shen, at the center of the crisis used 5 tons of DEHP every month to manufacture clouding agents which were supplied to food processing firms and pastry shops.
Opposition spokesperson Lin Yu-chang pushed the Ma Ying-jeou administration to come out with a new "D-Day" to combat the national plasticizer scare.
They pointed out that DPP legislator Huang Sue-ying spoke against placing DEHP on the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) class-1 control list of toxic substances.
KMT legislator Chiu Yi also alleged that the DPP had ties with the owner of the Yu Shen Company, Lai Chun-chieh.
[17] In neighboring Macau, health authorities found that the antacid Scrat Suspension tested positive for DIBP and later issued a notice of recall to local importers and pharmacies.
[20][21] In the United States, California-based 99 Ranch Market, one of the largest Asian grocery chains in the country, removed plasticizer-contaminated beverages imported from Taiwan, off store shelves.
[24] The company was fined NT$ 28.6 million in accordance to the Act Governing Food Sanitation after authorities found that their products had been adulterated.
[26] A NT$1.85 billion fine levied by the Changhua County Public Health Bureau was annulled in July 2014 because Kao and two other company executives had already been put in jail.
Kao Tsung-hsien of the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Administrative Appeal Committee stated: Given that the Changhua District Court has handed down a punishment against the company’s chairman, Kao Cheng-li [in December last year], the committee members decided to cancel the NT$1.85 billion fine in accordance with Article 26 of the Administrative Penalty Act.Flavor Full Food Inc. (Chinese: 富味鄉食品股份有限公司) was accused of blending cheaper cottonseed oil into more expensive cooking oils to increase their profit.
[33] On 20 November 2013, the FDA Taiwan of Ministry of Health and Welfare confirmed the grapeseed oil made by Taisun Enterprise Co. (Chinese: 泰山) contained the prohibited food additive copper chlorophyllin complex.
[35] The chairman of Ting Hsin International Group (Chinese: 頂新集團) was indicted in early November 2013 on fraud charges because of mislabeling products and violating the Act Governing Food Sanitation in connection to adulterated oil purchased from Chang Chi Foodstuff Factory Co.[33] Wei Chuan Food Corp (Chinese: 味全食品) were found to be involved in an adulterated cooking oil scandal.
[38] ROC Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) – On 23 October 2013, Minister Chiu Wen-ta said that he took full responsibility for cracking down the 'black-hearted' food suppliers.
ROC Minister of Economic Affairs (MOEA) – Vice Minister Woody Duh said that the MOEA Industrial Development Bureau was reviewing the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) system and might require a manufacturer to present its export and import invoices and declarations to allow on-the-spot inspection for its production line when it seeks certification.
[28] In Mainland China, a food distributor in Fujian filed a lawsuit against Chang Chi Foodstuff Factory Co. to seek damages for compensation.
[49][50] Chang Guann purchased up to 243 tons of recycled waste oil disguised as lard from the Pingtung factory, starting in February 2014.
[48] On 11 September 2014, reports revealed that Chang Guann had also imported 87.72 tons of lard oil falsely listed for human consumption from Hong Kong-based Globalway Corp Ltd. (金寶運貿易) but was actually meant for animal use only.
[51] The Taiwan Food Good Manufacturing Practice Development Association (TFGMPDA) reported that the cooking oil produced by Chang Guann has never been awarded GMP certification, although the TFGMPDA issued an apology saying that five food companies whose products have won GMP certification have used the tainted oil.
[57] On 9 October 2014, prosecutors launched an investigation into a unit of Ting Hsin International Group (頂新國際集團) over the sale of alleged tainted cooking oil.
[33] After the revelations, the Taiwan public boycotted Ting Hsin items, with a number of local governments, restaurants, traditional markets, and schools refusing to consume the conglomerate's products.
[60] On 16 October, Ting Hsin announced that it will leave Taiwan's oil market and donate NT$3 billion toward food safety under the supervision of Ruentex Financial Group (潤泰集團) Chairman Samuel Yin.
[89] In November 2014, it was found that dried tofu products (豆乾; dougan) had been adulterated with an industrial dye, methyl yellow (also known as dimethyl), for some 20 years.
[91] Tofu and seasoning products from Taiwanese manufacturers were found to be adulterated in the latest of a string of related scandals beginning in November 2014.
The scandal was initially uncovered by Hong Kong authorities regarding the many flavored types of dried preserved tofu, that were recalled for toxic industrial dye methyl yellow contamination, after an investigation confirmed that this adulteration had been going on undetected for over 20 years.
[91] In the following days, ramen noodle seasoning packets were also found to be contaminated with methyl yellow, include some popular major ramen manufacturers previously implicated in the prior gutter oil scandals[92] These products are exported worldwide, including US, Malaysia, Indonesia, Canada, Australia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and China, primarily on the shelves of Asian food stores.