Harsh penalties to deter use of industrial gelatin

POLICE OFFICERS in Northeast China's Liaoning province recently seized more than 6,000 kilograms of food containing industrial gelatin that had been sold to more than 1,000 businesses or shops. Industrial gelatin is banned for use in food as it may contain high levels of heavy metals that are harmful to health. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Wednesday:

Industrial gelatin is quite similar to edible gelatin in terms of taste and effect, but it is about one-quarter the price, thus many unscrupulous food producers use it.

Industrial gelatin contains lead, mercury and other heavy metals that can damage the liver, kidneys, blood and skin. It can also cause cancer.