A brand of sesame oil implicated in the recent Taiwan oil scandal was imported to Singapore but not sold on the shelves of major supermarkets here, confirmed the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority on Wednesday.

In the past year, about 30 tonnes of Flavor Full brand sesame oil were imported here, said an AVA spokesman.

But about 97 per cent of imports were meant to be repackaged for export while the remainder was sold at local trade fairs and stalls.

"Arising from the cooking oil scandal in Taiwan, recent imports of the implicated oil product from Flavor Full Food Inc were withheld from distribution and sale. Samples have also been taken for tests. AVA is monitoring the situation closely," added the spokesman.

The Taiwanese media reported last week that Flavor Full Foods was one of two food producers found to have used mainly cottonseed oil - a cheap ingredient that experts say could cause infertility and impotence - for cooking oils for sale abroad.

Cottonseed has been found in the variety of cooking oils made by Tatung Changchi Foodstuff Factory while Flavor Full Foods claimed tests have shown the cottonseed it uses is not harmful to health, reported the United Daily News.

An AVA spokesman said last week that Singapore does not import the implicated oil product manufactured by the Tatung Changchi Foodstuff Factory.