Chinese Authorities Seize More Than 100,000 Tons of 40-Year-Old Frozen Meat

Authorities in China have seized more than 100,000 tons of smuggled meat being sold across the country, some of which was frozen and dated back to the 1970s, according to a report in the state-run China Daily.  The seizures were part of a nationwide crackdown on a smuggling ring in possession of at least $483 million worth of meat. Officials say more than a dozen separate gangs around the country are involved in the smuggling.  Meat sold by the smugglers was reportedly thawed out and refrozen several times before reaching the point of sale, as it was transported in unrefrigerated vehicles.  Much of the meat was said to come from Brazil and India and was smuggled in via Vietnam and Hong Kong.  The meat was intended for sale in restaurants and supermarkets.  An official with an anti-smuggling bureau said that the smuggled meat might pose a risk of carrying diseases such as bird flu and foot-and-mouth disease.  China has faced continuous food safety scandals in recent years. The government has been working to clean up the country’s food system, including introducing new laws that would ban food manufacturers from the food business if they’re caught producing or selling unsafe food.  Last year, a company that sold meat to major multinational food chains in China, such as McDonald’s, KFC and Starbucks, was accused of mixing what was purported to be  expired meat in with their fresher supplies. Six individuals from the company were arrested and have not been charged.