https://www.scmp.com/rss/304063/feed A crisis in confidence in China's food industry emerged after melamine was found in domestically produced baby formula in 2008. The scandal sickened 300,000 babies and resulted in six premature deaths. Other stories of fake eggs, diseased pork, recycled oil, mislabelled meat and more have only led to more calls for industry reform. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Coco Feng Coco Feng Behind China’s landmark crackdown on the e-commerce and food-delivery sectors lies a darker narrative of resistance, secrecy and violence, after regulators uncovered a vast network of “ghost” bakeries and imposed a record fine on seven major platforms. The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) levied a 3.6 billion yuan (US$528 million) fine on seven platforms run by PDD Holdings, Meituan, JD.com, Alibaba Group Holding and ByteDance, with the probe revealing a hidden office, violent... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3350891/hidden-office-fractured-bone-violent-resistance-behind-chinas-record-food-safety-fine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3350891/hidden-office-fractured-bone-violent-resistance-behind-chinas-record-food-safety-fine?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A food factory in China has been exposed for making popular chicken feet snacks using chemicals in unhygienic conditions. The factory soaked the chicken in harmful hydrogen peroxide, sparking public outrage and thrusting the country’s food safety record back under the spotlight. In the annual Consumers’ Right Day Show broadcast by state media CCTV on March 15, the Mingyang Food Company in Chengdu, in southwestern Sichuan province, was revealed to have serious food safety problems. According to... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3347051/china-food-scandals-factories-use-smelly-insoles-chemically-bleached-chicken-feet-make-snacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3347051/china-food-scandals-factories-use-smelly-insoles-chemically-bleached-chicken-feet-make-snacks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A coffee shop in China is offering a new type of Americano which includes eggs brewed in child urine, a drink believed to be of nutritional value. The shop in Dongyang city in eastern China’s Zhejiang province recently began to offer the special brew, claiming it was popular. Costing 28 yuan (US$4) per cup, the outlet sold more than 100 cups a day at weekends. Eggs brewed in child urine are a speciality in Dongyang. Locals believe that child urine, or urine from boys under the age of 10, can... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346995/china-cafe-offers-coffee-made-eggs-brewed-child-urine-considered-nutritious-delicacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346995/china-cafe-offers-coffee-made-eggs-brewed-child-urine-considered-nutritious-delicacy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 06:00:10 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A Chinese woman is facing a lawsuit after encouraging her pet dog to eat mutton rolls directly from a plate at a famous Beijing hotpot restaurant. The incident reportedly happened at a branch of Nanmen Hotpot, a Beijing-style hotpot restaurant brand, in the Chinese capital on December 16. A video posted by the dog-owning woman shows her encouraging her pet to eat directly from a plate. “Frankly speaking, I do not even know what the mutton rolls taste like because my dog has eaten them all. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3337613/china-woman-films-dog-eating-plate-restaurant-shop-vows-sue-after-brief-closure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3337613/china-woman-films-dog-eating-plate-restaurant-shop-vows-sue-after-brief-closure?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China has halted imports of soybeans from five Brazilian exporters after inspectors found pesticide-treated wheat mixed into a cargo bound for Beijing, officials from both countries said on Thursday. The suspension by China’s General Administration of Customs was communicated to Brazil’s agriculture ministry on Wednesday and made public on Thursday. The ban covers two Cargill facilities and one plant each run by Louis Dreyfus Co., CHS Agronegocios and 3Tentos Agroindustrial. Four of the plants... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334588/china-halts-soy-imports-brazil-plants-pivots-us-amid-food-safety-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334588/china-halts-soy-imports-brazil-plants-pivots-us-amid-food-safety-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 19:23:26 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China threatened “further measures” against Japan, ratcheting up efforts to force Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to retract remarks about a potential Taiwan conflict. China had “every reason” to respond to Takaichi’s comments, which undermined the political foundation of relations with Japan, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday. “The Chinese side will be forced to take severe and resolute countermeasures, and the Japanese side will bear all the consequences arising from... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3333542/japan-china-row-worsens-beijing-threatens-more-reprisals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3333542/japan-china-row-worsens-beijing-threatens-more-reprisals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 09:01:01 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen China will take “further measures” against Japan unless its prime minister retracts her controversial comments on Taiwan, the foreign ministry said as Beijing reportedly reimposed a ban on Japanese seafood imports. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday that Takaichi’s remarks had undermined the political foundation of China-Japan relations and China “has every reason to respond to such actions”. “The Chinese side will be forced to take severe and resolute... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333354/china-tells-tokyo-it-will-suspend-japanese-seafood-imports-kyodo-news?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333354/china-tells-tokyo-it-will-suspend-japanese-seafood-imports-kyodo-news?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 05:02:36 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang Young Chinese adults have been sharing extreme tips online on how to be frugal. One of the suggestions bizarrely recommends bread worms as a cheap, high-quality protein source, claiming they have a “milky almond” flavour. The ideas were shared in an online group called the “Thrifty Men’s Association”, which boasts more than 240,000 members. Members proudly refer to themselves as “Thrifty Stars”, viewing their lifestyle as an act of resistance against consumerism. One of the most viral posts... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3330031/china-youth-share-frugality-hacks-online-eating-bread-worms-cheap-protein-rich-food-source?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3330031/china-youth-share-frugality-hacks-online-eating-bread-worms-cheap-protein-rich-food-source?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 01:00:09 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu Multiple instances of diners discovering human teeth in food have reignited food safety concerns in China. On October 13, a woman reported finding a row of three artificial human teeth in a sausage she bought for her child in northeastern China’s Jilin province. She bought the grilled sausage from an outdoor stall. Initially, the vendor denied that the teeth were present when the sausage was sold but later apologised after local market supervision authorities became involved. On the same day,... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3329677/outrage-china-alarming-reports-surface-human-teeth-found-sausages-dim-sum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3329677/outrage-china-alarming-reports-surface-human-teeth-found-sausages-dim-sum?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2025 01:00:09 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng In the run-up to National Day, a week-long celebration viewed as a litmus test for the strength of China’s domestic consumption, a fiery feud between a celebrity entrepreneur and one of the country’s best-known restaurant chains has drawn widespread attention to cost-saving practices in the food industry. The drama began on September 10, when influencer Luo Yonghao – a former teacher known for his outspoken views – blasted the popular Xibei restaurant chain on social media, claiming his... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3327789/chinas-struggling-restaurants-feeling-queasy-debate-rages-over-pre-made-food?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3327789/chinas-struggling-restaurants-feeling-queasy-debate-rages-over-pre-made-food?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 12:00:07 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang Two Chinese teenagers have been ordered to pay 2.2 million yuan (US$308,000) in compensation after filming themselves urinating into a hotpot dish at a popular restaurant. The pair posted a video of their “prank” online, and the outlet, one of the Haidilao nationwide chain, was forced to refund more than 4,000 diners. The incident took place on February 24, when two 17-year-olds, surnamed Tang and Wu, were dining in a private room at one of the chain’s restaurants in Shanghai. The drunken duo... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3325691/china-teens-fined-us308000-over-hotpot-pee-video-led-4000-diner-refunds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3325691/china-teens-fined-us308000-over-hotpot-pee-video-led-4000-diner-refunds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 06:00:09 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A hotpot restaurant in China has gone viral amid allegations that it was cooking with used oil taken from a roadside rubbish bin. On August 18, in Chongqing, southwestern China, a netizen posted a video showing a woman in her sixties, surnamed Zhang, apparently scooping used oil from a swill bin. The footage showed the woman dressed in the uniform of a local hotpot restaurant. She was carrying a ladle and a plastic bucket. When asked who had told her to collect the oil, the woman responded... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3322661/china-restaurant-worker-scoops-oil-rubbish-bin-eatery-claims-its-sale-not-cooking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3322661/china-restaurant-worker-scoops-oil-rubbish-bin-eatery-claims-its-sale-not-cooking?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 06:00:09 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu Three people in China had to be hospitalised after they ate sheep placenta for “nutritious” purposes, sparking an online discussion about the custom. A woman, surnamed Zhang, in southern China’s Guangdong province was reported to have developed frequent fevers and lost 5kg in weight over a short period after she cooked the “dish”. She went to hospital and was diagnosed with brucellosis, a type of bacterial infection spread from animals to humans. Zhang’s sister and brother-in-law were diagnosed... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3319990/china-trio-diagnosed-bacterial-infection-after-eating-nutritious-cooked-sheep-placenta?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3319990/china-trio-diagnosed-bacterial-infection-after-eating-nutritious-cooked-sheep-placenta?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Aug 2025 06:00:08 +0000 Audrey Jiajia Li Audrey Jiajia Li In early 2014, during China’s “two sessions”, I interviewed the late Zong Qinghou, the founder and chairman of Wahaha, in Beijing. He was 69 at the time, attending the National People’s Congress for the 12th time as a delegate. He appeared before my camera, travel-worn and wearing a pair of well-worn cloth shoes that cost just 20 yuan. During the interview, he was energetic and sharp-tongued, speaking frankly about the invisible barriers faced by private enterprises. He asserted that market... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3319984/chinas-titans-industry-nationalism-double-edged-sword?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3319984/chinas-titans-industry-nationalism-double-edged-sword?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Aug 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Chinese authorities have tightened oversight of imported Vietnamese durians this year after finding “excessive levels” of two potentially harmful substances in the popular, high-value fruit. The General Administration of Customs of China now requires enhanced pre-export safety checks and compliance testing before shipments leave the source country, with “qualified” test reports to be attached to durians, a customs official told the Post, requesting anonymity due to internal rules. She said the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3320379/china-toughens-import-rules-vietnamese-durians-after-detecting-health-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3320379/china-toughens-import-rules-vietnamese-durians-after-detecting-health-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Aug 2025 04:00:13 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Hong Kong health authorities have issued a food safety alert and suspended imports of a Japanese ice cream product after discovering coliform bacteria levels well above legal limits. The black tea-flavoured ice cream, branded as Kochi Ice and imported by Shin Tai Ho (Hong Kong) Company, was found to contain 140 coliform bacteria per gram, above the regulated threshold of 100. The Centre for Food Safety disclosed the findings on Monday following routine testing at the import level under its Food... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3319896/hong-kong-suspends-imports-japanese-kochi-ice-cream-product-over-bacteria?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3319896/hong-kong-suspends-imports-japanese-kochi-ice-cream-product-over-bacteria?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 15:38:42 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China’s worst food safety scandal in almost two decades, in which hundreds of children suffered lead poisoning, has prompted fresh questions about the quality of local governance. On Sunday, the authorities in the northwestern province of Gansu said 10 local officials were under investigation over the incident in the city of Tianshui. One political scientist, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the slow response to the incident showed how local officials “try to avoid taking... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3319051/chinese-kindergarten-lead-poisoning-scandal-raises-fresh-questions-over-local-governance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3319051/chinese-kindergarten-lead-poisoning-scandal-raises-fresh-questions-over-local-governance?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 04:00:08 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang More than 200 families in a small city in northwestern China recently found themselves with a deeply worrying task: trying to establish if their children had lead poisoning. Some had been ill for months with symptoms such as stomach ache. Parents who took their children to a local hospital were told the blood lead results were normal. Those who sought a second opinion in a neighbouring province discovered dangerous blood lead levels, as much as 40 times higher in at least one case – a clear sign... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3318321/lead-poisoning-scandal-china-shows-tendency-cover-still-strong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3318321/lead-poisoning-scandal-china-shows-tendency-cover-still-strong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jul 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China has expanded the probe into a kindergarten lead poisoning scandal that has shocked the nation, with the central government getting involved in a rare intervention in a provincial investigation. On Saturday night the authorities in Gansu said the investigation would be led by provincial leaders working alongside a task force from the State Council, the country’s cabinet. Last week, Chinese media reported that 233 of 251 children at the kindergarten in Tianshui, a second-tier city in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3318023/china-widens-kindergarten-lead-poisoning-investigation-central-government-gets-involved?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3318023/china-widens-kindergarten-lead-poisoning-investigation-central-government-gets-involved?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2025 04:47:23 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Police have detained eight people accused of lead poisoning after more than 200 children in a kindergarten in the northwestern province of Gansu were found to have elevated lead levels in their blood, sparking widespread public outrage and concern. The principal of the kindergarten in Maiji district in Tianshui, surnamed Zhu, was detained together with a local investor named Li and six canteen staff on suspicion of “producing toxic and harmful food”. Two others have been placed on police bail... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3317413/8-detained-china-lead-poisoning-after-high-levels-detected-kindergarten-children?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3317413/8-detained-china-lead-poisoning-after-high-levels-detected-kindergarten-children?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Jul 2025 10:53:49 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Japan’s decision in 2023 to discharge waste water from the decommissioned Fukushima nuclear power plant sparked serious concerns in the region and beyond, so much so that Hong Kong stopped importing seafood and other products from designated areas in the country while mainland China went further with a total ban. Twenty-two months have passed and no major food scares have been reported in the city, thanks to the vigorous surveillance mechanism for imported seafood from other Japanese... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3316615/time-ripe-hong-kong-gradually-lift-ban-japanese-seafood?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3316615/time-ripe-hong-kong-gradually-lift-ban-japanese-seafood?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2025 23:15:12 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang Some of the world’s leading rice-producing countries are sitting on a vast belt of pollution caused by heavy metal, according to a new study that has raised urgent concerns about global food safety. The Chinese team behind the research used machine learning to analyse hundreds of studies based on soil samples taken from around the world and concluded South and Southeast Asia’s most fertile rice regions were suffering from severe cadmium contamination. Up to 1.4 billion people worldwide are... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3307115/major-rice-producers-have-worlds-worst-heavy-metal-pollution-chinese-scientists-warn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3307115/major-rice-producers-have-worlds-worst-heavy-metal-pollution-chinese-scientists-warn?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Apr 2025 01:00:19 +0000 The popular hotpot chain Haidilao is in the midst of a public relations crisis, and internet users are describing the matter as “pee-gate”. Last month, two 17-year-olds were dining at a Haidilao restaurant in Shanghai and, while drunk, got up on the table and urinated directly into the pot. A video of the incident went viral earlier this month and someone reported it to police. Local police have since detained the two teenagers. Haidilao later said in a social media post that since the two... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3302861/chinas-youth-must-be-taught-bad-behaviour-will-not-be-tolerated?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3302861/chinas-youth-must-be-taught-bad-behaviour-will-not-be-tolerated?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Mar 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu Two teenagers have been detained for urinating in a hotpot dish at a well-known restaurant chain outlet in Shanghai then posting footage of their drunken act online. Video footage of two men standing on a dining table while peeing into a hotpot soup in a private dining room in a Haidilao shop has triggered public outrage and concerns over food safety. The chain has more than 1,300 branches across China. The eatery in the video reported the case to the authorities, and on March 8, Shanghai police... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3301907/china-teenagers-detained-peeing-eatery-hotpot-posting-video-online-sparking-outrage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3301907/china-teenagers-detained-peeing-eatery-hotpot-posting-video-online-sparking-outrage?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Mar 2025 01:00:08 +0000 China has published a new action plan for boosting consumption that focuses on eliminating fraud, shoddy goods and other issues that discourage consumers from spending, as it aims to shore up economic growth amid an intensifying trade war with the United States. The 19-point plan, jointly issued by five government bodies, aims to create a healthier “consumption environment” that will boost confidence and encourage consumers to open their wallets. The authorities pledged to tackle issues ranging... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3299385/china-issues-new-plan-boost-consumption-creating-healthier-market-environment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3299385/china-issues-new-plan-boost-consumption-creating-healthier-market-environment?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Feb 2025 03:31:05 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A woman from southwestern China misidentified a firecracker as a milk confectionery, resulting in mouth injuries when it exploded unexpectedly, alarming many and raising concerns about misleading packaging. The woman, surnamed Wu, from Chengdu in Sichuan province, shared her experience on social media, revealing that the packaging of a specific type of firecracker, commonly known as shuang pao in China, closely resembles that of milk candies. This resemblance led her to mistakenly consume one,... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3298003/chinese-woman-injured-after-mistaking-firecracker-candy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3298003/chinese-woman-injured-after-mistaking-firecracker-candy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Feb 2025 06:00:08 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A Sichuan hotpot restaurant has been punished by the local government for creating “saliva oil” by recycling the leftover chilli oil soups of diners and mixing the brew with new oil to serve the next customers. The Nanchong Market Regulation Administration, in southwestern China’s Sichuan province, reported on December 2 that it busted a hotpot restaurant that recycled leftover “old oil” and added it into its hotpot soup base. The government conducted an investigation on the restaurant after... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3292177/saliva-oil-china-eatery-recycles-leftovers-blends-new-ingredients-resale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3292177/saliva-oil-china-eatery-recycles-leftovers-blends-new-ingredients-resale?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Dec 2024 01:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A school in northeastern China has infuriated the public by feeding young students dishes which had been kept in a bucket used for dog food. Earlier this month, several parents noticed the practice taking place in the canteen of Wulidianzi School in Huanren county, Liaoning province, northeastern China. Workers were seen throwing food left over by older students into a bucket in preparation for taking it home to feed their dogs. But minutes later, when younger pupils came to the canteen to eat,... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3292142/china-school-probed-feeding-young-pupils-leftovers-dog-food-bucket?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3292142/china-school-probed-feeding-young-pupils-leftovers-dog-food-bucket?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Dec 2024 06:00:11 +0000 Bulk containers used to transport vegetable oil in China must be for food use only and clearly labelled as such from February, according to new national regulations introduced in response to a cooking oil scandal earlier this year. Under hygiene standards released last month by the State Administration for Market Regulation, cooking oil cannot be shipped in containers that have been used for non-food products. Cooking oil tanks must also be labelled “designated for edible oil” or “designated for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3287029/china-imposes-new-food-transport-rules-after-outrage-over-cooking-oil-fuel-tankers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3287029/china-imposes-new-food-transport-rules-after-outrage-over-cooking-oil-fuel-tankers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Nov 2024 07:32:45 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang An influencer in China consumed pig feed costing just 3 yuan (40 US cents) a day to save money, asserting it is healthier than takeaway food, which has sparked widespread health concerns. Kong Yufeng, known online as “King Kong Liuke”, is a popular handicraft influencer on Douyin, boasting 2.8 million followers. She is a graduate of one of China’s top art schools, the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. On October 30, Kong posted a video in which she expressed her intention to live on as little money... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3285245/china-kol-adopts-pig-feed-diet-costing-40-us-cents-save-money-raising-health-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3285245/china-kol-adopts-pig-feed-diet-costing-40-us-cents-save-money-raising-health-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Nov 2024 01:00:09 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A mixture of diverse, quirky and eye-catching stories have captured public attention and sparked debate across social media in China in recent days. From a robot dog porter to a viral search for love in Hong Kong, and a food scandal at a school in China. The Post offers you a glimpse into these trending moments. Robot dog porter Hikers on Mount Tai in Tai’an, Shandong province in eastern China were surprised to find a robot dog effortlessly carrying heavy loads and navigating up and down the... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3283494/china-snapshot-news-robot-dog-porter-hong-kong-husband-sought-stinky-nutritious-lunches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3283494/china-snapshot-news-robot-dog-porter-hong-kong-husband-sought-stinky-nutritious-lunches?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Oct 2024 06:00:09 +0000 More than a year has passed since treated radioactive water was discharged into the sea from Japan’s crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Inevitably, the ensuing ban on the country’s seafood by the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau to protect public health took its toll on relevant industries and consumers. However, while the restrictions were necessary to enhance food safety, they came at a great cost to the economy and bilateral relations. In a welcome move, Beijing and Tokyo have... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3280994/deal-monitoring-japans-fukushima-water-best-way-forward?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3280994/deal-monitoring-japans-fukushima-water-best-way-forward?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Oct 2024 22:15:08 +0000 Yulu Ao Yulu Ao As people gather to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival on Tuesday, top-earning Chinese influencer Crazy Xiaoyangge finds himself facing an investigation into allegations that his company sold mooncakes it falsely claimed were from Hong Kong. Three Sheep Group, a company founded by the influencer, whose real name is Zhang Qingyang, is being investigated for allegedly “misleading consumers” via a live-streaming promotion, according to a statement issued by a local regulator in Hefei, capital of... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3278906/chinese-influencer-crazy-xiaoyangge-prompts-mooncake-probe-made-hong-kong-claim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3278906/chinese-influencer-crazy-xiaoyangge-prompts-mooncake-probe-made-hong-kong-claim?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Sep 2024 10:30:32 +0000 Thirteen more patients suffering from a potentially deadly bacterial infection have tested positive for a strain linked to contact with raw freshwater fish, bringing the total to 40 cases in a month, with health authorities warning the number may rise further. The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said on Monday that it had found 13 more cases of ST283, or serotype III sequence type 283, among patients who were recently admitted to hospital after being infected with Group B Streptococcus. Seven... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3278781/13-more-hong-kong-patients-found-have-potentially-deadly-infection-linked-fish?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3278781/13-more-hong-kong-patients-found-have-potentially-deadly-infection-linked-fish?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Sep 2024 16:44:28 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu US supermarket chain Sam’s Club is under investigation after a customer found a human tooth in a mooncake purchased from a mainland branch. A woman shared a Douyin video showing the tooth in a 30-yuan (US$4) meat-filled mooncake bought in Changzhou in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, as reported by Star Video on September 5. The woman said the tooth did not belong to any of her family members, and that she had reported the incident to the police. A staff member at Sam’s Club in Changzhou said... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3278480/woman-finds-human-tooth-mooncake-us-supermarket-china-leading-police-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3278480/woman-finds-human-tooth-mooncake-us-supermarket-china-leading-police-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Sep 2024 06:00:13 +0000 Two local governments in China have vowed to crack down on the use of illegal additives in goji berries after media reports revealed widespread misuse of chemicals in the food. Authorities in Golmud, Qinghai province, and Jingyuan county in Gansu province said on Monday that they had set up special task forces to investigate the activity. “The results of the investigation and how the case is being handled will be made public in a timely manner,” Golmud authorities said. “Those responsible for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3276911/chinese-task-forces-investigate-goji-berry-contamination-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3276911/chinese-task-forces-investigate-goji-berry-contamination-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Sep 2024 13:37:26 +0000 China is drafting national standards for transporting cooking oil in the aftermath of a scandal that shook the nation. Last week, food safety regulators said that following an investigation, two drivers were arrested and three companies penalised for using unclean fuel tanks to transport cooking oil, a practice that had been reported on by news outlets. The regulators said that aside from this case, they “did not find any similar problems”. The new rules, proposed by the National Food and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3276586/chinese-cooking-oil-scandal-prompts-new-safety-rules-transporting-products?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3276586/chinese-cooking-oil-scandal-prompts-new-safety-rules-transporting-products?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Aug 2024 13:00:10 +0000 Two truck drivers have been arrested and three transport companies penalised in the aftermath of a cooking oil scandal that ignited widespread anger in China. The penalties were detailed in findings by food safety investigators looking into media reports that uncleaned fuel tankers were being used to transport cooking oil. “[The transport incident] was extremely bad in nature, trampling on the bottom line of morality and the red line of the law, and is a typical criminal offence that must be... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3275905/chinese-probe-cooking-oil-scandal-results-arrests-firms-disqualified-and-fines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3275905/chinese-probe-cooking-oil-scandal-results-arrests-firms-disqualified-and-fines?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Aug 2024 06:36:39 +0000 Hong Kong health authorities have blocked a batch of Taiwan-made ice cream bars from being distributed after the products were detected with bacterial counts exceeding the legal limit. The city’s Centre for Food Safety said on Tuesday the affected products were the “Brown Sugar Boba Frozen Dessert Bars”, an 80g pre-packaged frozen confection produced by Shaomei Ice Cream in Taiwan and imported by Circle K Convenience Stores in Hong Kong, with a best-before date of July 26 next year. The affected... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3274369/taiwan-made-boba-ice-cream-batch-blocked-sale-hong-kong-over-food-safety-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3274369/taiwan-made-boba-ice-cream-batch-blocked-sale-hong-kong-over-food-safety-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Aug 2024 14:27:44 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan Two chefs in China have been handed suspended prison sentences for adding antibiotics to food in a misguided attempt to prevent customers from developing diarrhoea after eating in their restaurant. Last month, a court in Nantong, eastern China’s Jiangsu province, sentenced a chef, surnamed Sha, and his colleague identified as Fu, to two years and 18 months in jail respectively, on the charge of producing and selling toxic and harmful food. Their sentences were suspended for an unidentified... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3272860/china-court-punishes-chefs-who-put-drug-rather-unhygienic-food-prevent-diarrhoea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3272860/china-court-punishes-chefs-who-put-drug-rather-unhygienic-food-prevent-diarrhoea?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Aug 2024 10:01:04 +0000 There must be something special for a food brand to last for more than a century. In the case of home-grown Liu Ma Kee, whose fermented bean curd has tickled the taste buds of many Hongkongers for generations, it is a mix of heritage, reputation and quality. Alas, the “Made in Hong Kong” tofu myth was dispelled after a series of government food safety checks thrust its dubious manufacturing process into the spotlight and led to the demise of the legendary household name. The abrupt end of the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3271767/safety-comes-first-hong-kong-stink-over-local-tofu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3271767/safety-comes-first-hong-kong-stink-over-local-tofu?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jul 2024 22:15:09 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A man in China who had been coughing for more than two years and feared he had lung cancer was relieved to discover that the cause was a chilli pepper he had choked on during a hotpot meal. The 54-year-old, surnamed Xu, from Zhejiang province in eastern China, had been taking over-the-counter medication for a persistent cough but saw no improvement. In late June, concerned about his condition, he sought professional help at the Thoracic Surgery Department at Zhejiang Hospital. A scan revealed a... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3271533/spice-life-china-cancer-man-relieved-find-chilli-hotpot-caused-2-year-cough?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3271533/spice-life-china-cancer-man-relieved-find-chilli-hotpot-caused-2-year-cough?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jul 2024 01:00:13 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A French opera singer has thanked a doctor in China for removing a fish bone from one of the most important parts of his body, his throat. The quick-acting medical man’s intervention in Shanghai has caused much comment and mirth on mainland social media. Laurent Ban had been performing in Shanghai as one of the principal singers in the musical Mozart l’opéra rock. In mid-July a fish bone became lodged in his throat while he was eating river fish, a common dish in China. Ban rushed to Ruijin... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3270945/he-saved-me-and-show-skilled-china-doctor-fishes-bone-throat-opera-singer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3270945/he-saved-me-and-show-skilled-china-doctor-fishes-bone-throat-opera-singer?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jul 2024 01:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan We all need a dose of the unusual from time to time. So here, the Post takes a look at some of the stranger news items to have come out of China in recent days. Water writer Residents in eastern China’s Zhejiang province were stunned to see a man writing calligraphy under water using his smartwatch. The device records his swimming routes, or trails, which form the shape of Chinese characters, and it can take an hour to complete a complicated character, the media outlet City Express reported. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3271080/quirky-china-swimming-calligraphy-coinage-angers-court-woman-works-while-poisoned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3271080/quirky-china-swimming-calligraphy-coinage-angers-court-woman-works-while-poisoned?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jul 2024 08:00:11 +0000 For years, my friend Viola and I have been regularly swapping healthy recipes. Whenever one of us discovers new literature focused on health, such as the recent book Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity by Dr Peter Attia, or new science about longevity or some healthy ingredients in the supermarket, we immediately tell each other. We have learned that replacing food high in saturated fats, such as bacon, with salmon, or replacing saturated fats like lard with olive oil, lowers the chances of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3270687/without-better-food-safety-being-health-conscious-china-lost-cause?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3270687/without-better-food-safety-being-health-conscious-china-lost-cause?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jul 2024 01:30:08 +0000 China has suffered from an embarrassing history of food safety scandals and scares that date back decades. Particularly disgraceful was the melamine affair in 2008, in which baby milk was laced with a chemical used in plastic, poisoning 300,000 children. Such shameful episodes not only harm those directly affected, but also lead to a widespread loss of public trust. Much work has been done by authorities in a bid to restore confidence, but sadly just as progress seems to have been made,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3271015/heavy-price-must-be-paid-latest-china-food-safety-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3271015/heavy-price-must-be-paid-latest-china-food-safety-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jul 2024 16:40:21 +0000 A Chinese web platform tracking truck movements has stopped sharing information after visitor numbers surged in the wake of the cooking oil scandal. The platform, Fahuobang, had a feature that allows users to track the routes taken by trucks over the previous six months, but it went down earlier this week and as of Friday afternoon it was still unavailable. On Thursday, its customer service told 21st Century Business Herald that the function is undergoing maintenance ahead of an upgrade and it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3270255/chinese-truck-tracker-goes-offline-after-user-numbers-surge-wake-cooking-oil-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3270255/chinese-truck-tracker-goes-offline-after-user-numbers-surge-wake-cooking-oil-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jul 2024 11:00:15 +0000 Allegations that Chinese companies have been using the same trucks to transport fuel and cooking oil are likely to be raised at a key political meeting next week and could prompt Beijing to tighten food safety policies, observers say. An investigative report by state-backed Beijing News last week said the tankers were being used for both fuel and food products like cooking oil, soybean oil and syrup. It said it was an “open secret” that the tankers did not get cleaned between deliveries to save... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3269969/cooking-oil-scandal-may-prompt-china-tighten-food-safety-policies-observers-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3269969/cooking-oil-scandal-may-prompt-china-tighten-food-safety-policies-observers-say?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jul 2024 15:00:12 +0000 Beijing has set up a high-level team to investigate food transport standards, after a report in state-backed media said companies were using fuel trucks to carry cooking oil. The Beijing News published a report last week alleging that the same tanker trucks were being used to transport both cooking oil and chemicals, without cleaning between shipments to save costs. The article has sparked public food safety concerns, with other state media also pressing for answers. State broadcaster CCTV... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3269808/china-launches-high-level-probe-after-paper-says-fuel-tankers-used-carry-cooking-oil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3269808/china-launches-high-level-probe-after-paper-says-fuel-tankers-used-carry-cooking-oil?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Jul 2024 12:50:08 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A famous supermarket chain in China has paid out 8.8 million yuan (US$1.2 million) in compensation to customers following online complaints about the hygiene of their rolling dough dish. Pang Dong Lai’s payout astounded many but also attracted praise for showing a commitment to consumer rights. Originating in the northern inland province of Henan, the supermarket chain has established a national reputation for positive treatment of its employees and customers. “I don’t want to let our customers... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3268443/china-supermarket-chain-makes-us12-million-payout-customers-over-dirty-noodles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3268443/china-supermarket-chain-makes-us12-million-payout-customers-over-dirty-noodles?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jul 2024 11:00:11 +0000