Hong Kong retailers report rise in cooking oil sales after mainland Chinese tanker scandal
- Cooking oil has become talking point across border after mainland trucks suspected of failing to clean tankers while also transporting fuel
Cooking oil sales have risen at Hong Kong supermarkets and some stores in northern border districts amid food safety concerns prompted by a recent scandal in mainland China.
In Sheung Shui and Yuen Long, more mainland visitors were seen shopping for cooking oil, while online retailer HKTVmall saw sales rise 14 per cent over a week.
The commodity became a talking point on the mainland in early July when trucks were suspected of using the same tankers to carry fuel and cooking oil without cleaning them between journeys, triggering an investigation by authorities.
Staff at a pharmacy in Sheung Shui and a grocery store in Yuen Long said they had noticed an increase in mainland visitors buying cooking oil since the scandal erupted.
The Environment and Ecology Bureau on Thursday said there was a stable supply of edible oil on the local market. It added that it would closely monitor the situation and liaise with suppliers and retailers to quickly respond to any potential issues.
The Beijing News, a state-backed outlet, published an investigative report on July 2 that claimed some trucks in Hebei were using the same tankers to transport cooking oil and fuel without cleaning them in between to cut costs, with the matter considered an “open secret” among the industry.
The report named two companies – a subsidiary of state stockpiler Sinograin and private conglomerate the Hopefull Grain and Oil Group.
