Nestle SA Maggi seasoning is displayed on a shelf in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, China. (Photo : Getty Images)
According to a report, Manufacturers at a township in North China's Tianjin Municipality were allegedly found to be counterfeiting more than 1-billion-yuan worth of food seasoning from famous brands like Nestle and Totole.
At least 50 plants were alleged counterfeiting the goods in the township of Duliu, which is known for one of the main producers of vinegar in Northern China. It is reported that 500,000 yuan worth of goods are manufactured every day in Duliu.
A manufacturer surnamed Liu admitted that they have all the popular seasoning brands, which includes Nestle's Maggi cooking sauce, Totole's granulated chicken flavor and Wang Shouyi Shi San Xiang's multi-flavored spice.
The report also indicated that leftover star anise, Sichuan pepper and fennel that are already been used by nearby factories, are dried, ground, processed and labeled as Wang Shouyi Shi San Xiang's multi-flavored spice.
The packaging and the labelling of the fake products is the same as the authentic ones. Font Size, Font Color and even the QR codes are spot on.
Workers for these fake food seasoning often manufacture the goods either in the afternoon or at night, and were being dispatched quickly. This made it difficult for food supervisors to conduct raids.
Liu Shaowei, a food safety professor at the East China University of Science and Technology, said, "Industrial salt is considered dangerous. It contains hazardous chemicals like nitrite--a carcinogen--and heavy metals, which harm the liver and kidney."
A poll that involved 4,258 people from 59 cities showed that Chinese people are getting less satisfied with food safety in the country.
President Xi Jinping has called for greater efforts for ensuring food safety. He noted that there are still many problems and concerns despite the improved food safety.
He also called for the most stringent regulation, the most rigorous standards, the most severe punishment as well as the most serious accountability for improving food safety controls.
