Twenty People Stand Trial for "Gutter Oil" in China, Xinhua Says

Twenty people charged with producing and selling recycled oil from kitchen waste stood trial today in Zhejiang province, eastern China, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

The suspects have been charged with manufacturing and selling fake and substandard products, and toxic and hazardous food, according to Xinhua, which cited a written statement by the Intermediate People’s Court in Ningbo.

There was no verdict at the hearing, Xinhua said.

China’s Ministry of Public Security intensified a crackdown on illegal workshops that produce the so-called gutter oil in April, according to the Xinhua story. The material, which is extracted from kitchen waste dredged from the gutters behind restaurants, has been deemed unsafe for consumption as it may contain carcinogens, Xinhua said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Liza Lin in Shanghai at llin15@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew Monahan at amonahan@bloomberg.net