TAIPEI: The Consumer's Foundation has found itself in boiling oil over its report charging frying oil used in fast food restaurants contains highly elevated levels of arsenic.

The restaurants named in the report dispute the findings and McDonald's restaurants commissioned a private analysis in order to refute the foundation's report.

Maintain objectivity and let re-testing settle the controversy, said Consumer's Foundation official Yang Shui-hui yesterday.

The Taipei County government carried out surprise inspections of frying oil used in restaurants on June 21. The swoop was triggered by accusations charging that the restaurants don't change their frying oil every day, to cut down on costs. However leaving oil to sit day after day causes carcinogens to build up in the oil.

The Department of Health (DOH) disclosed on Tuesday that traces of arsenic were detected in frying oil sampled from an outlet of McDonald's and an outlet of Domino's Pizza.

The arsenic level of two samples from the McDonald's outlet was 0.923 parts per million (ppm) and 1.038 ppm, while the reading of Domino's was 1.105 ppm. Food quality regulations require the arsenic level to be below 0.1 ppm.

McDonald's, after having its oil independently tested, responded that no arsenic was found in the independent tests at SGS Lab. McDonald's claimed the test samples were taken from the same vat as the government's test samples.

Domino's also said it had commissioned separate tests and will make the results public when they become available.

Regarding the discrepancy over McDonald's oil, Yang explained that it's possible for samples from the same pot to yield different results, because they are taken at different times.

The government's samples were tested at Super Laboratory. The samples were labelled with numbers so there's no way for the lab to know the source of the samples, she said.

Fearing pressure from the food industry, Yang said she had purposely kept the identity of Super Laboratory secret.

She added that SGS is a lab she trusts and it has been engaged by the government for previous inspections.

Both Super Laboratory and SGS have come under intense pressure since the discrepancy became known. The food chain operators should maintain objectivity and let the facts speak, rather than to engage in a your-word-against-mine situation, she said.

Photos were taken throughout the sampling process. There are sealed samples that can be tested by a third lab and the restaurant operators have the option to apply for a re-examination, Yang said.

Business at both restaurants reportedly has been hit hard because of the frying oil controversy. When releasing testing results of McDonald's samples, McDonald's spokesman Tsao Chang-chieh said "the damage is severe".

Hsu Ching-hsin, spokesman for the DOH's Food Safety Bureau, agreed the controversy should be resolved with further investigation.

The bureau still must ascertain whether the arsenic was present in the oil before it was used. The restaurants will bear the main responsibility if no arsenic was found in the unused oil. Otherwise, the oil suppliers will be fined and the restaurants will be required to improve quality control.

Hsu said the DOH will hold a meeting to introduce new standards for frying oil. Current regulations cover oil before it's used for cooking. Additional testing will also be discussed.

The DOH will also expand inspection of frying oil to include both restaurants and street vendors, Hsu said.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 07/10/2009 page2)