Food Smuggling in China; Discovery of Frozen Meat from Forty Years Ago

In the latest controversial case related to food smuggling in China, government officials have seized an 800-ton shipment of frozen meat, part of which dates back to the 1970s. Xinhua, the state news agency of China, reported on Tuesday that this shipment was discovered on June 1 during transit and distribution to shops and restaurants in Hunan province, with a commercial value of approximately $1.6 million. CNN reported that some of the meat was completely rotten, while other parts bore seals from the years of the 'Cultural Revolution' in the 1970s. An official from Hunan province told Chinese news agencies, 'The meat was in several containers and had a strong odor. When I opened the container, I almost felt nauseous.' Customs officials in the province confirmed the reports published by local media but declined to provide further information. Adding this recent case of smuggling rotten meat, Chinese government officials have discovered a total of over 100,000 tons of frozen and smuggled meat valued at $500 million across 14 provinces this month and arrested 21 smuggling groups. A local official told Chinese news agencies that it is difficult for customers to detect spoiled frozen meat before the ice melts, and smugglers exploit this issue. A customs official in China also told an English-language newspaper in Beijing, 'Smuggled meat shipments are usually not inspected and may contain various dangerous viruses that can cause severe illnesses. Smugglers save costs by using ordinary vehicles instead of refrigerated trucks, and during transit, the ice on the meat may melt.' According to Chinese media, smugglers purchase some of these meat products from abroad and transport them to China via Hong Kong and Vietnam. The Guardian also reported, citing local officials in southern China, that the seals on some of the seized meat packages date back to the era of Mao Zedong, who died in 1976; thus, it can be said that these products are from over forty years ago. Some of the smuggled meat shipments enter China through Vietnam, making southern provinces like Guangxi, which borders Vietnam, a hub for smuggling activities. Chinese newspapers and news agencies have not yet published information about the original source of the recently seized smuggled meat products. The website of the Chinese Customs has not yet added this specific case to the list of smuggled goods discovered and seized by this agency. The Guardian reminds that food safety and health in China is a serious concern. The standards and monitoring system for nutritional health in this country are very weak, and cases like the discovery of this rotten meat shipment are almost a constant issue. The largest food safety scandal in China occurred in 2008, where investigations revealed that the chemical melamine was illegally added to dairy products, resulting in at least six infant deaths and over 300,000 illnesses.