Singapore recalls six food products from Taiwan amid 'gutter oil' scandal

Singapore authorities have recalled six food products that are affected by the tainted cooking oil scandal in China's Taiwan, the food safety watchdog said Thursday.

The six food products from two brands from Taiwan include frozen pork, vegetable and leek dumplings made by Chi Mei and cookies made by Sheng Hsiang Jen, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said.

Both brands were among lists of tainted food brands published on the food security authorities of Taiwan and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore 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 use of "gutter oil" in Taiwan has been making headlines recently. 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 Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said the use of tainted oil "is primarily a fraudulent practice" and that it is working with food safety watchdogs in Taiwan and Hong Kong to ensure that other affected products on the recall list will not be imported to Singapore. 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.