Police detain cattle suppliers, close slaughterhouse in water injection scandal

In response to media revelations of water injection into live cattle, five cattle suppliers in Dongguan, Guangdong province, have been detained by local police, and a slaughter company temporarily shut down.

Reports on Tuesday exposed the practice of injecting water into live cattle before they were transported to a slaughterhouse in Dongguan. The Dongguan city government reacted swiftly, mobilizing relevant departments to investigate the matter.

The investigation uncovered that a cattle supplier named Li and others forcibly injected water into live cattle before delivering them to the South City Branch of Dongguan Food Co for slaughter. Subsequently, the meat products were distributed to both Dongguan and Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province.

The government issued a statement on Wednesday, reporting that on-site urine samples from the cattle tested negative for clenbuterol, an illegal substance used to promote animal growth and muscle leanness.

Authorities intercepted the related meat products on Tuesday and sent them to the local agricultural products testing institute for examination. Additionally, an inspection team was dispatched to the city's four beef and lamb slaughter enterprises. The inspections will focus on verifying slaughter certificates, clenbuterol testing, and meat quality inspection.

Commencing Wednesday, Dongguan will intensify control over the slaughtering of cattle, sheep, and pigs, and enhance its food safety supervision mechanism. A comprehensive campaign is set to inspect slaughter enterprises, agricultural markets, and fresh supermarkets to eliminate potential food safety risks.

A local cattle farmer in Dongguan disclosed that, based on the current beef price of approximately 40 yuan ($5.5) per kilogram, unscrupulous traders can profit thousands of yuan per cow through this illegal practice.

A report by China Science Communication, a platform under the China Association for Science and Technology, underscored the risks associated with consuming beef injected with water. Firstly, water injection causes cell expansion and rupture, leading to the loss of essential nutrients like protein and compromising beef quality. Moreover, as the quality of the water used is uncertain, beef becomes susceptible to microbial contamination, which may result in food poisoning and other health risks. Some dishonest businesses may even introduce food additives or other illegal substances, which can burden the body, particularly the liver and kidneys, and may lead to severe health complications.