AVA recalls six Taiwanese food products for containing tainted cooking oil

-- PHOTO: SCREENGRAB OF TAIPEI TIMES
-- PHOTO: SCREENGRAB OF TAIPEI TIMES

SINGAPORE - Six food products from two Taiwanese brands have been recalled by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) for containing tainted cooking oil.

Frozen pork, vegetable and leek dumplings made by Chi Mei plus cream cookies, classic cream cookies and the cookies selection from Sheng Hsiang Jen are all being removed from shelves.

The AVA said it is working with importers and major supermarkets to remove the affected products and that it has also suspended their import into Singapore.

The two brands were the only two out of those on lists published on the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration and Hong Kong Centre of Food Safety websites to be imported into the Republic.

The use of "gutter oil" in Taiwan made headlines earlier this month.

Waste oil was collected from cookers, fryers and grease traps and mixed with lard oil, which was then used for food production in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The AVA said the use of tainted oil "is primarily a fraudulent practice" and that it is working with Taiwan and Hong Kong food safety authorities to ensure that other affected products on the recall list will not be imported here.

It also assured the public that tainted oil was not imported from Taiwan and Hong Kong for use in food processing or food preparation in Singapore.

The AVA said it will continue to monitor the situation closely and impose additional measures when necessary.

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