Soy sauce scare as survey finds unsafe samples in Beijing

Sub-standard soy sauce is the latest food scare on the mainland, CCTV reports.

In a recent survey of 18 vendors in northern Beijing, all samples inspected were found to be below accepted standards. Authorities said some contained up to 86 times the level of bacteria colonies and 25 times the level of E coli considered safe. They also contained just 3 per cent of the standard levels of amino acid nitrogen, an important factor in determining the taste and quality of the sauce.

The products in question came in a 1.75-litre bottle marked with the Jinshi Likang brand, and sold for between 16 and 30 yuan in rural markets, about half the price of similar products in other regular urban markets, authorities found.

The Beijing Wang Zhihe Food Group, which owns the brand, told CCTV the products were fake, as the real Jinshi Likang sauce was more expensive.

Workers in one unlicensed production base in a courtyard told authorities that the materials they used to make the sauce were caramel pigment, salt and water, which resulted in costs as low as 10 yuan a bottle. No beans or wheat, the raw materials required to produce soya sauce, were found in the small factory, according to CCTV.

Besides this plant, about a dozen other illegal production bases were found by authorities in Beijing suburbs. Some bought soy sauce in bulk to dilute into five times the original amount, then added pigment to give it a more appealing colour.