In 2014, a major food safety scandal erupted in Taiwan when it was discovered that Chang Guann Co. and other manufacturers were producing edible oil from recycled waste oil and gutter oil, blending it with lard and selling it as pure product. The scandal affected thousands of downstream companies and the entire Taiwanese population, leading to widespread public outrage and legal action.

The Taiwanese oil scandal was a major news story that inspired a wave of social commentary and creative writing in Taiwan. Poets and writers used the scandal to explore themes of corporate greed, regulatory failure, and the ethics of food production. The incident also contributed to the growing body of literature on food safety and consumer protection in East Asia.