The Chinese government has launched an investigation into the cooking oil contamination scandal. Fuel tankers allegedly transported cooking oil without proper cleaning after carrying toxic chemicals. The controversy has spread online, with social media users expressing concerns about potential food contamination.
State-run Beijing News reported that tankers used for transporting fuel were found to be carrying food products like cooking oil and syrup. These tankers were not decontaminated correctly between loads. The cooking oil contamination scandal was so widespread that one driver quoted by the newspaper called it an “open secret” in the industry.
The case has dealt a severe blow to public trust in the Chinese government’s ability to enforce food safety standards. This scandal has dominated Chinese social media in recent days. On Weibo, the country’s equivalent to X (formerly known as Twitter), tens of thousands of posts about the scandal have racked up millions of views.
“Food safety is the most important issue,” one comment, liked more than 8,000 times, stated. Another comment read, “As an ordinary person, surviving in this world itself is an amazing thing already.” Many users compared the cooking oil contamination scandal to the 2008 Sanlu milk scandal, where 300,000 children became sick and at least six died after drinking powdered milk contaminated with melamine. “This is much worse than the Sanlu scandal; it can’t be settled with just a statement,” one user commented.
In China, tankers are not restricted to any particular type of goods. They can theoretically carry food products right after transporting coal-based oils. The cooking oil contamination scandal involves several major Chinese companies, including a subsidiary of state-owned Sinograin and the Hopefull Grain and Oil Group.
Sinograin has stated it is investigating whether food safety regulations were followed correctly. The company also announced it will immediately suspend the use of any trucks found to have violated the rules. A representative from Hopefull Grain told the government-controlled newspaper Global Times that it is conducting a “thorough self-inspection.”
The Chinese government has said food safety officials will carry out the investigation into the cooking oil contamination scandal. They have promised to punish any companies and individuals involved in wrongdoing and to immediately publish the findings of their investigation. “Illegal enterprises and relevant responsible persons will be severely punished in accordance with the law and will not be tolerated,” state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Both the Hebei and Tianjin provincial governments have announced they are also investigating the cooking oil contamination scandal at the local level.
