A number of food scandals have made headlines in Guangdong over the past few weeks, from moldy raisins sold at the popular AEON supermarket chain to pig blood injected with formaldehyde at a factory outside of Shenzhen.
An episode of moldy candied winter melon was first reported on April 29, when the Guangdong Provincial Food and Drug Administration discovered that packages of sugared melon (produced by the Guangzhou Wanmi Food Co., Ltd. 广州市万蜜食品有限公司 and packaged on December 21, 2016) sold at a Guangzhou PARKnSHOP had 1,179 times more mold than the standard.
It would be difficult to tell just by looking at them, however, as this photo of typical candied winter melon shows:
The same day, the administration also found that Prince brand (皇子) green raisins sold at AEON in Panyu District had coliform bacteria two times higher than the standard and a mold detection value 41 times the standard.
Both products have since been pulled from the shelves.
On May 3, Tencent News reported that a factory in Xixiang outside of Shenzhen was illegally adding formaldehyde and alum to its pig blood in order to save costs, keep it fresh longer and improve its texture, consistency and appearance.
Pig blood curd (猪红) – also known as ‘blood pudding’ – is not particularly appealing in name, but is popular in Chinese cuisine for its tender taste, detoxifying properties and ability to stimulate blood flow.
Formaldehyde, on the other hand, is mainly used in the production of industrial resins for coatings. It’s been identified as a human carcinogen that is highly toxic to all animals, regardless of method of intake.
According to Tencent News, pig blood factories are required by law to set up a laboratory onsite to self-test their pig blood daily for contaminants, as it is considered a ‘high-risk’ product.
The factory in question has been forced to close and health management officials have pledged to monitor pig blood production more closely going forward.
Food scandals are, unfortunately, a part of everyday life in China, but it is possible to take steps to avoid purchasing unsanitary items by mistake.
If you regularly consume dried fruit, for example, be sure to check the production date before buying (strive for packages produced no more than two months previously). And if you’re ambitious enough to order pig blood at a restaurant, you probably have what it takes to make the stuff at home – all you need to add is warm water and salt!
[Images via vinumvine and Tencent News]
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