Not Just Zhonglian Oils! Famous Olive Oil Brand Caught Mixing Cheap Oil, Unscrupulous Operators Profited NT$37.6 Million, Health Ministry Takes Action

A major edible oil adulteration case has once again shaken Taiwan. The Taipei District Prosecutors Office recently concluded its investigation into the 'Menzteler 100% Italian Pure Olive Oil' mixing scandal, revealing that Huang Yueh-hsueh, head of Rongqi International, and her son Li Shang-jung, chairman of Yuanle International, allegedly purchased inexpensive Spanish extra virgin olive oil from Costco and mixed it with low-cost rapeseed oil at a ratio of 1:29. The resulting blend, containing only 3.3% genuine olive oil, was then labeled and sold as '100% Pure Olive Oil' and 'Product of Italy.'

Prosecutors found that to evade inspections, the defendants deliberately adjusted the nutritional labels to make fatty acid profiles match official databases. They also imported 450 bottles of genuine Italian olive oil in two small batches to obtain legitimate import documentation from Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare, using it as a cover for their illegal operations.

Over three years, the operators generated illegal revenues of over NT$37.6 million (NT$37,608,887). The Taipei District Prosecutors Office has indicted four individuals—Huang Yueh-hsueh, Li Shang-jung, accountant Li Cheng-chi, and Fu, the driver responsible for transportation and mixing—on charges including violations of the Food Safety and Sanitation Act, aggravated fraud, and false labeling. The prosecution has requested confiscation of all illicit gains and seeks a prison sentence of more than five years for the masterminds, while recommending leniency for the lower-level employees who cooperated.

In response, the Taipei City Department of Health has ordered the recall and destruction of 8,806 kilograms of contaminated oil and imposed the maximum fine of NT$4 million. To prevent future mislabeling and adulteration, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) announced a draft regulation on July 12 titled 'Labeling Regulations for Edible Olive Oil and Olive Pomace Oil,' which will strictly categorize olive oil into six distinct types based on processing and quality. The new rules are set to take effect on July 1, 2027.

The six designated categories are:

- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Virgin Olive Oil - Refined Olive Oil - Olive Oil - Refined Olive Pomace Oil - Olive Pomace Oil

The TFDA emphasized that failure to comply with labeling requirements could result in fines of up to NT$3 million, while false labeling could lead to fines of up to NT$4 million and mandatory product recalls. If adulteration or counterfeiting is confirmed, cases will be referred for criminal prosecution under the Food Safety Act, carrying a maximum penalty of seven years in prison and a fine of up to NT$80 million.