32 people busted for selling WVO behind restaurants

[jessef]

Interesting read today !



http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/13/32 ... ?hpt=hp_t2

Thirty-two people have been arrested in China for selling cooking oil recovered from gutters behind restaurants, the state-run Xinhua news agency reports.

China's Ministry of Public Security said it recovered more than 100 tons of the illegal so-called "gutter oil," the report said.

The arrests came after a six-month investigation that spanned 14 provinces, according to Xinhua.

The state-run China Daily, citing a report in the Beijing Times, said the oil comes from restaurant gutters, leftover pieces of pork and poultry fat. It is refined at illegal plants that remove impurities with calcium carbonate and neutralize acidity with alkali.

The oil then is repackaged and sold with customers unable to tell its origins, China Daily reported. Testing at state-run facilities showed some of the oil met safety guidelines, China Daily reported, citing the Beijing Times.

Authorities shut down six underground production sites, Xinhua reported.

Earlier this year, authorities destroyed two illegal cooking oil production facilities in Guangdong province, Xinhua reported in May.

An oil container at one of those plants had sanitary napkins, plastic bags and other garbage in it, according to the Xinhua report.

[Jordan]

Selling it back as a food product? Didn't one of Delicats sources do that?

[FalcoColumbarius]

I remember when they started calling rape seed oil ~ canola oil. But it wasn't guys in the back alleys, it was the government:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/200 ... reducation

I wonder how refined the Chinese WVO was?

Falco.

[jessef]

Testing at state-run facilities showed some of the oil met safety guidelines

Who knows how much or little of the whole enchilada was that good though.

[BCDelica]

Testing at state-run facilities showed some of the oil met safety guidelines

Who knows how much or little of the whole enchilada was that good though.

That enchilada bit is hitting a little close to home.

I doubt the used oil was in the 'gutter'. More likely it is stored in a open container behind the restaurant and sold to the re-refiner at a very low price. We sell our used cooking oil and it does go back into the cooking slash food industry in some way. For years a portion of our WVO is given to 2 different groups of Burmese workers that use it for there cooking, and they are very happy as it is the cleanest used oil they've ever received. The first time they asked for some oil I was surprised, but it's gotten to be a regular arrangement and it's not a lot. Every little thing like that makes a difference for an illegal only making at most 4 dollars a day.

Buyer beware or what; be careful buying really really cheap Chinese products....

[delicat]

Selling it back as a food product? Didn't one of Delicats sources do that?

Yup, a Sushi resto selling their used oil to a Chinese resto here in Burnaby... And their oil wasn't even that great, I actually stop using it... Guess I'm picky!

Cheers,
Mr. D