China has ordered food safety officials nationwide to step up the fight against "gutter oil" that is illegally skimmed from kitchen waste and resold, part of a government crackdown on foods tainted with potentially lethal substances.
China's Cabinet, the State Council, said the black market trade in waste oil posed "serious potential food safety risks" to the public.
The circular issued by the council did not specify the health risks but the China Daily newspaper reported that reused oil could contain dangerous substances such as aflatoxin, a mould that can cause cancer.
The State Council said the intensified crackdown should target oil trade fairs and wholesale markets. It called for inspections of oil being used at restaurants, school cafeterias, work canteens and kitchens at construction sites across the country.
China has been struggling to overcome a series of food safety problems, including one that started two years ago when at least six children died and nearly 300,000 children fell ill after consuming infant formula mixed with melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics.
Melamine was also found in a slew of exported Chinese dairy products, prompting recalls in many countries.
Other persistent domestic food problems include pesticide-tainted vegetables, fish treated with cancer-causing antibiotics, eggs colored with industrial dye, and fake liquor that can cause blindness or death.
Under pressure from the public and its trade partners, China last year enacted a tough food safety law, promising tougher penalties for makers of tainted products.
