Pigs illegally injected with water in northern China

Food inspectors in northern China have discovered that a pork products plant in Tianjin was injecting pigs with water to illegally increase their weight.

Investigators who were tipped off to the practice raided the Xixinyuan slaughterhouse in Tianjin's Xiqing District on Friday (Jan 16).

Officials said they found items which were used for water injection in the production facility.

Inspectors said that pigs awaiting slaughter should not be allowed to eat or drink.

Factory chief Yi Shunpu said he was unaware that the pigs were being improperly bulked up.

The facility slaughters more than 400 pigs daily to provide pork to Tianjin's Nankai District and neighbouring provinces.

It is one of Tianjin's 36 government-designated slaughterhouses charged with producing quality pork, but it was the third so far to be caught forcing water into pigs. The other two have had their licenses revoked.

Officials added that each slaughterhouse has a government inspector, but he or she is in charge only of looking out for pork from diseased pigs and does not have authority over water-injected meat.