March 18, 2009

Shanghai authorities are planning citywide inspections of farm products after shoppers complained of beef saturated with water in a local market, an official said Tuesday (Mar 17).

The practice of injecting water into meat to increase its weight allows sellers to earn more money. However, it also raises the chances of spoilage or contamination with chemicals or industrial waste.

Weng Yuwen, an official in the public affairs department of the Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Administration, said the department will cooperate with Shanghai Food and Drug Administration to regularly inspect all farm products in wholesale markets to ensure consumers' health and rights.

Weng said inspectors confiscated 5 kilograms of waterlogged beef from the city's Southwest Agricultural Trade Market after a shopper complained about purchasing a suspiciously soggy rump steak. The inspectors believed more adulterated meat is still in the market.

A local newspaper reported that much of the suspect beef came from suppliers in Jiashan, a city in neighbouring Zhejiang province.

Last week, a delegate to a top government advisory body proposed a new monitoring system for the meat industry, citing waterlogged meat as a long-standing health hazard.

China is the world's third-largest beef market, with an annual production of more than 7 million tonnes. Only a limited quantity of meat is handled by modern slaughterhouses, while most products from farms and small slaughtering operations often do not meet the minimal requirements for hygiene and safety.