China imposes new cooking oil transport rules after fuel tanker scandal

From February, containers used to transport food oils must comply with hygiene standards, and be labelled

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A Chinese state media investigation into food transport practices has sparked a change in rules, including that firms selling, transporting and buying cooking oil must keep scrupulous records. Photo: AP

Published: 3:32pm, 18 Nov 2024Updated: 4:33pm, 18 Nov 2024

Bulk containers used to transport vegetable oil in China must be for food use only and clearly labelled as such from February, according to new national regulations introduced in response to a cooking oil scandal earlier this year.

Under hygiene standards released last month by the State Administration for Market Regulation, cooking oil cannot be shipped in containers that have been used for non-food products. Cooking oil tanks must also be labelled “designated for edible oil” or “designated for food”.

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The changes follow an investigation by The Beijing News, which reported in July that unclean fuel tanks had been used to transport cooking oil from a subsidiary of state-owned Sinograin and the private Hopefull Grain and Oil Group.

The report said it was “an open secret” in the industry for cooking oil to be transported in fuel tanks without prior cleaning, prompting a public outcry and a state-level investigation.

In a report in August, investigators from the State Council, China’s cabinet, described the incident as “extremely severe in nature”, “violating basic common sense, trampling on moral and legal boundaries, and a typical example of illegal and criminal behaviour that must be severely punished”.

According to the investigators, one of the trucks in the Beijing News report was carrying 35.91 tonnes of Sinograin cooking oil, including 11 tonnes used for animal food.