Officials Stumble over Camellia Oil Silence

(Beijing) -- Consumer rumors that later proved true rocked the maker of Jinhao Camellia Oil, Hunan Jinhao Camellia Oil Corp., for weeks before a company notice August 21 denied the presence of dangerous carcinogens.

And after the company statement discounting "rumors regarding the finding of carcinogens exceeding the legal limit by six times," the Hunan Province government's Quality Supervision Bureau (QSB) announced results of its own investigation supporting Jinhao's claim.
 
At issue was benzopyrene (BaP), a strong carcinogen that's a byproduct of oil extraction from camellia plants, rumored to have been found in the company's edible cooking oil.