On July 27, 2026, Hong Kong media outlet Hong Kong01 reported that dissatisfaction with the government's response to the issue surrounding edible oil safety in Taiwan had increased, and a protest rally of 200,000 people was held in Taipei.

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According to reports, benzo[a]pyrene, a suspected carcinogen, was detected above the standard limit in soybean salad oil from "Chung Lien Oil," which developed into the largest food safety issue in recent years since early July. The article stated, "The Lai Ching-te (Lai Ching-der) administration's posture of evading responsibility has provoked public backlash."

It was also reported that on the 25th, on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei City, a protest rally called for by Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (Chiang Wan-an) and the largest opposition party, the Kuomintang, was held, with organizers announcing that over 200,000 citizens participated, demanding, "Lai Ching-te, resign!"

According to the article, Mayor Chiang stated in his speech, "What the public demands is only for the government to fulfill its responsibility, swiftly investigate and disclose the truth," and criticized the government for not providing sufficient explanation even after about a month since the problem occurred.

Mayor Chiang also raised doubts about government officials explaining benzo[a]pyrene as a "naturally occurring substance" and making statements to the effect of "it can be excreted by drinking a lot of water" or "it's also ingested when eating fried chicken," by asking, "If that's the case, why establish safety standards?"

The article noted that younger participants were more prominent in this protest compared to conventional Kuomintang rallies. While the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration stated that it "respects citizens' right to express their opinions in accordance with the law," Zhuang Ruei-hsiung (Zhuang Ruei-hsiung), the secretary-general of the DPP caucus in the Legislative Yuan, expressed the view that it was "a political move by the Kuomintang (KMT) looking ahead to the 2028 presidential election." The article reported that Mayor Chiang refuted this by saying, "No one cares about the election. Everyone's concern is solely food safety."