Taiwan's cooking oil supply was contaminated with a cancer-causing chemical and sold anyway, which is bad news for consumers, the food industry, and the four companies now facing charges.

• Prosecutors charged Central Union Oil and three other firms, plus 15 executives, over soybean oil tainted with benzo[a]pyrene, a known carcinogen.
• Seven bad batches reached more than 13,000 businesses across Taiwan before anyone was told.
• Central Union allegedly relaxed its own safety limits on damaged Brazilian soybeans without extra testing, then sat on bad lab results for weeks.
• The other three companies kept repackaging and selling the oil after learning of the problem, and executives pocketed millions in the process.
• Authorities are trying to claw back close to NT$900 million in illegal profits, and several executives are being held in custody.

Outlook: Expect tighter food-safety enforcement and reporting rules in Taiwan, with a long court fight over the seized assets ahead.