在2011年5月，非法添加塑化劑取代棕櫚油當作起雲劑於食品及飲料的事件，引起大多數臺灣人民的恐慌。化學添加物中塑化劑之所以取代起雲劑而加入食品或飲料中是想改變色澤且增加質感。此事件引起全臺及國外民眾對於食品安全性的憂慮，且外國食品安全當局採取對臺灣輸入產品的嚴格檢查而影響國家形象。現在，非法添加塑化劑於食品的事件已在控制中，可是塑化劑暴露事件還是層出不窮。這些化學添加物廣泛使用於塑膠工業，如食物的包裝、塑膠袋、醫療器材、兒童用品等、經長期使用後這些物質可能會揮發進入食物，空氣或直接進入人體。如何適當的使用塑化劑因此成為國際重要議題。
 

In May 2011, the illegal use of plasticizers to replace palm oil as clouding agents for use in beverages and foods created widespread panic among the majority of Taiwanese. Plasticizers as chemical additives, were added in place of clouding agents to foods or drinks to make them more appealing in color and texture. This event resulted in food safety fear not only across Taiwan but also in foreign countries-where food safety authorities implemented stricter inspections of products from Taiwan which influenced the nation’s image. Now, the illegal use of phthalate plasticizers as additives in food has been brought under control, yet plasticizers exposure never disappears. These chemicals are widely used in the plastics industry as well, usually in the forms of food packaging, plastic bags, medical devices, children’s products, and they may evaporate into food or the atmosphere or could be directly absorbed by our bodies after long-term use. The appropriate use of plasticizers has therefore become an international issue.