32 arrested for selling waste cooking oil as new
Chinese police inspect illegal cooking oil, better known as "gutter oil" seized during a crackdown in Beijing last year.
September 13th, 2011
11:05 AM ET

32 arrested for selling waste cooking oil as new

Thirty-two people have been arrested in China for selling cooking oil recovered from gutters behind restaurants, the state-run Xinhua news agency reports.

China's Ministry of Public Security said it recovered more than 100 tons of the illegal so-called "gutter oil," the report said.

The arrests came after a six-month investigation that spanned 14 provinces, according to Xinhua.

The state-run China Daily, citing a report in the Beijing Times, said the oil comes from restaurant gutters, leftover pieces of pork and poultry fat. It is refined at illegal plants that remove impurities with calcium carbonate and neutralize acidity with alkali.

The oil then is repackaged and sold with customers unable to tell its origins, China Daily reported. Testing at state-run facilities showed some of the oil met safety guidelines, China Daily reported, citing the Beijing Times.

Authorities shut down six underground production sites, Xinhua reported.

Earlier this year, authorities destroyed two illegal cooking oil production facilities in Guangdong province, Xinhua reported in May.

An oil container at one of those plants had sanitary napkins, plastic bags and other garbage in it, according to the Xinhua report.

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Filed under: China • Crime • Food
soundoff (273 Responses)
  1. Veteran

    living in China from 84-92 this is no news, from all the places I been around the world, nothing compares to China as the most filty place on Earth. .
    also beware of Chinese Restaurants in the US – same same.
    but our 300 lb Girls/Boys don't care, its cheap in those Chinese Restaurants -all you can eat for $6.- is what counts.
    one count has it there are now over 40.000 in the US of A.
    convinced that if checking the Kitchen prior to eating – 99% of the customers would walk out.
    also Dear Americans, check the food labels in your Store, quite a few items now arriving from China.
    esp.canned fruit/mushrooms. to prevent canc of my input – the companys name starts with an "D"

    September 26, 2011 at 8:20 am | Report abuse |
  2. ed

    I was ok until "sanitary napkins", and I threw up.

    September 27, 2011 at 11:51 am | Report abuse |
  3. Eric

    at least the napkin was sanitary

    October 1, 2011 at 5:46 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Smokingman

    All manufacturing from China to the US should have to pass rigorous testing and inspection, that they pay for, to ensure the safty of end users in the US.

    October 3, 2011 at 1:25 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Concern

    One way to avoid getting cancer is avoiding any kind of Made in China products.

    October 12, 2011 at 9:02 pm | Report abuse |
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