Chinese Restaurant Used Recycled Oil: How would you feel if a restaurant served you food that was prepared by extracting oil from food left by other customers? Should you eat it? The answer is absolutely no. A similar case has come to light in a hotpot restaurant in Sichuan, China. According to the South China Morning Post, the restaurant recycled leftover “old oil” and cooked it by mixing it with new oil. After this incident, the local government has taken strict action against the hotpot restaurant.
A customer had complained about this incident. After this, the Nanchong Market Regulation Administration in Sichuan province of southwestern China raided this restaurant on December 2 and reported the entire incident. The Nanchong Market Regulation Administration said the restaurant was reusing food from leftover “old oil”.
What did the restaurant owner say?
Restaurant owner Chen admitted that he had been extracting chili oil from diners’ leftover soup base since September and mixing it with new oil to improve the soup’s flavor and improve business. The Market Regulation Administration raided the kitchen of the restaurant and seized the old oil and transferred the case to the local police department for further investigation. Let us tell you that China’s Food Safety Law came into force for the first time in 2009, which bans the use of leftover food.
What did users say on social media?
Some people on social media said that mixing old and new oil for spicy hotpot is a traditional practice and it enhances the taste. However, another social media user expressed concern over food safety, saying that recycled food items pose a risk of infectious diseases.
