Arrests and fines as a result of the Chinese cooking oil scandal

The team also included representatives from the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministries of Public Security and Transport, the National Health Commission, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Administration for Food and Strategic Reserves.

01:15

China launches high-level investigation after newspaper reports tankers used to transport cooking oil

China launches high-level investigation after newspaper reports tankers used to transport cooking oil

The scandal broke last month when the Beijing News newspaper published a report calling it an “open secret” in the transport industry that some tanker trucks were being used to transport cooking oil and chemicals without cleaning them between loads to cut costs.

The report referred to two truck drivers working for different transport companies, one carrying a load of cooking oil from a subsidiary of state-owned Sinograin and the other carrying a shipment of cooking oil from the private Hopefull Grain and Oil Group.

In its investigation results released on Sunday, the food safety team said the two truck drivers named in the Beijing News report had been arrested and were expected to face charges.

The two trucks originally came from Xingtai in Hebei, a northern province bordering Beijing.

The first truck carried 35.91 tonnes of cooking oil, of which 11 tonnes were used to make animal feed. The rest was not sold and has since been sealed to prevent further use.

The second truck carried 31.86 tons, of which 29.38 tons had been packaged and sold, mainly to Ordos city in the northwestern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. About 7.78 tons had been sold but not yet used. The truck has since been recalled and sealed.

Three other people were held in administrative detention for ten days for issuing a false receipt for cleaning a truck.

In addition, two transport companies had their operating licenses revoked and were fined over 1.5 million yuan ($210,000), while a third company – the registered owner of one of the tankers – was fined nearly 2 million yuan ($281,000), the team said. Police were asked to continue investigating the three companies.

The Sinograin subsidiary was fined 2.86 million yuan, while Hopefull was fined 2.51 million yuan.

One company that purchased the oil transported in the tankers was fined 300,000 yuan, another was fined 260,000 yuan.

The investigation team stated that responsibility lies with local authorities and that anti-corruption authorities would be involved in further investigations.

The food safety team said its nationwide investigation “found no similar issues other than the two trucks mentioned in the media reports.”

The team vowed not to tolerate such incidents and to continue to monitor the transport of cooking oil.

Shortly after the results were released on Sunday, a commentary in the Communist Party organ People’s Daily said the investigation reflected Beijing’s “extremely responsible attitude toward food safety and its vigorous course to continue to crack down on criminal and illegal acts related to food.”

Several cooking oil manufacturers said last month they had conducted investigations and found no problems with their products or transportation.

04:04

The hundred-year-old Hong Kong brand of fermented tofu Liu Ma Kee closes its business due to dispute over hygiene and origin

The hundred-year-old Hong Kong brand of fermented tofu Liu Ma Kee closes its business due to dispute over hygiene and origin

This is not the first time that Chinese media have reported on the transportation of cooking oil. Media reports had already pointed out similar practices in 2005 and 2015.

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