Free to Read: China Must Stop the Silent Conspiracy That Lets Contaminated Tanker Deliver Edible Oil
Rules need to be tightened to stop a dangerous food safety risk slipping under the radar
A tank truck driver said that the tank inspection process for edible oils is extremely strict
A media report has exposed a disturbing practice in China where tanker trucks transport both edible oils and chemical liquids without proper cleaning, creating a significant risk of food contamination.
The dark secret of China's distribution industry was brought to light by The Beijing News, which found that tanker trucks were being used to carry edible oils immediately after transporting coal-based oils without any decontamination process.
Citing a tanker driver, the report said such practice is an “open secret” in the tanker industry. The news has led to public outrage and caused jitters in the businesses.
During the weekend, state-owned food giant China Grain Reserves Group Ltd. (Sinograin) issued a statement saying it had launched a broad inspection of all affiliated companies to detect contamination risks during the transportation process and promised to terminate cooperation with carriers found to have violated regulations.
The report named Sinograin Oils and Fats (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sinograin, as one of the companies involved.
It is a fundamental food safety requirement that the same container cannot be used to carry both edible oils and chemical oils, a rule clearly defined by laws, regulations and industry standards. Despite this, some companies have breached public trust. Such practices have been carried out smoothly and without scrutiny, leaving behind contaminated edible oils whose final destination is unknown.
A tank truck driver with nearly 20 years’ experience told Caixin that the tank inspection process for edible oils is extremely strict. Not only does it require drivers to provide delivery notes for the last three transports showing they were carrying edible oils, they also need to provide a tank-cleaning video and ensure the tank undergoes pH tests, according to the driver.
“(The report) about loading goods without a tank inspection was a complete revelation to me,” he said. The extent of mixed transportation still awaits detailed disclosure by the authorities.
For sub-standard tanker trucks to operate in this way there needs to be an implicit agreement between buyers, sellers and transporters. This unspoken accord goes unchallenged until journalists expose it. Responsibility to ensure food safety is ignored as each party in the distribution chain prioritizes cost and convenience over safety.
The ultimate victims of this profit-driven chain are consumers. Who would suspect their cooking oil may have been contaminated by chemicals? Even if consumers are taken ill, it would be near impossible to trace the problem to the transportation stage, as health risks take time to manifest.
In the end, all parties involved have found a way to maximize their benefits with minimal risk.
The best way to allay public fears is with a quick response from those involved. Surprisingly, despite the widespread coverage the report has received, there has been little response from regulatory authorities, apart from the Sinograin statement.
In the past, various regional regulatory bodies have taken a close look at the edible oil sector, from production, storage and transportation to sales. A regulation governing grain issued in 2021 clearly prohibits the use of contaminated vehicles or packaging materials when transporting grain and strictly forbids the mixing of grain with toxic substances in transit.
A national transportation industry standard in place since 2013 also requires that edible oils be transported in dedicated containers and forbids the use of non-edible oil tankers.
The use of tankers to carry both edible and non-edible oils is in clear violation of the rules. This raises the question of why involved parties allow these unlawful practices to continue. In times of economic downturn, when business pressures intensify and self-interest may dominate, there is a danger these practices could become widespread. Given these challenges, what steps should our regulatory authorities take to effectively address the issue?