New China food scandal as 30,000 tonnes of chicken feet found soaking in hydrogen peroxide
35 suspects in custody, but more at large as some officials have allegedly tipped off manufacturers to flee
More than 30,000 tonnes of chicken feet laced with hydrogen peroxide were seized by authorities in Zhejiang province – in the latest wide-reaching food scandal to emerge in mainland China.
Police said 35 business operators had been selling the goods – found soaking in hydrogen peroxide to keep the chicken feet white and fresh-looking – to more than 10 provinces including Shandong, Hunan, Zhejiang, Hubei and Liaoning, news portal thepaper.cn reported.
Chicken feet are a delicacy in China and some parts of Asia.
Hydrogen peroxide, a colourless liquid often used for disinfection and processing food, causes vomiting, mouth irritations as well as throat and stomach problems if consumed in unsafe amounts.
Police in Yongjia county in Zhejiang said 38 people were arrested in connection with the case and 11 more remain at large, Xinhua reported.
In a new twist to the investigation, the Yongjia police accused government officials from a county in neighbouring Anhui province of tipping off manufacturers involved in the peroxide-laced chicken feet operation, thepaper.cn said.
The police said one of the raids on suspected operations in Hexian county, Anhui, ended in failure in late March because local government officials leaked the raid’s details.