China is investigating widespread use of unclean industrial tankers to transport cooking oil, raising public health concerns.
Christian Shepherd and Pei-Lin Wu report for The Washington Post.
In short:
- Multiple investigations reveal that cooking oil was transported in fuel tankers without cleaning, causing public outrage.
- The scandal occurs amid a high-level Communist Party meeting focused on economic reform and public confidence.
- Past food safety issues in China, like the 2008 infant formula scandal, amplify current consumer fears.
Key quote:
“It was media that finally paid attention to the mess of tankers transporting cooking oil. In recent years, as media’s ability to supervise seriously declined, more and more horrendous things have happened.”
— Weibo user.
Why this matters:
Contaminants from the industrial chemicals can linger in the tankers, potentially tainting the cooking oil with toxic residues. Such contamination could lead to a host of health issues, from acute poisoning to long-term diseases like cancer.
