China
19:11, 17-Nov-2018
Meituan, ele.me take action against restaurants using meat seasoning from controversial factory
Updated
18:41, 20-Nov-2018
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A video showing unhygienic conditions and substandard food inside a manufacturer of seasoning packets and packaged meat in east China's Anhui Province has cooked up a storm online, triggering action from the country's two biggest food delivery platforms.
GangGangXiang food factory in Hefei City found itself in hot water after footage of dirty floors, unsanitary handling of food and year-old expired meat emerged on Friday, the latest in a string of food scandals that have tarnished the country's F&B sector in recent years.
The exposure prompted two Chinese food delivery giants to take action, after it was revealed that the food factory had been supplying restaurants operating on their platforms.
Meituan, which had 290 million monthly active users as of April this year, and its rival Ele.me, which has 50 million users, have reportedly ordered food businesses to inspect their purchasing channels, ensure the quality of ingredients that go into their dishes, and remove all items that could cause a public health hazard.
Food scandals are nothing new to China, despite efforts from the government to crack down on counterfeiters. /VCG Photo
Food scandals are nothing new to China, despite efforts from the government to crack down on counterfeiters. /VCG Photo
The video showed how frozen and expired meat is being processed, packaged and sent to restaurants, where it's cooked instead of using fresh meat.
The food manufacturer reportedly sells around 40,000 meat packages a day and covers the entire eastern Chinese region.
Staff there cooked expired and unclean meat without wearing gloves.
"The meat was put there for almost a year. We bought tons of it just because it was cheap," one employee told Shanghai-based outlet The Paper.
China has seen a spate of food scandals in recent years, which has caused an outcry for down-to-earth actions, while the government has been trying to crack down on tamperers and counterfeiters.
According to the official Weibo news account, both Meituan and ele.me have asked restaurants to examine their suppliers and report to the Food and Drug Administration about any corrupted or contaminated food.
The online platforms will also remove businesses which have used the cooking packages produced by the exposed company and halt their delivery services.
(Cover Photo: VCG Photo)