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Immediately after a leading food expert revealed that one in every 10 meals in the country may be cooked with dirty oil, the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) on Thursday issued an emergency notice to restaurants nationwide, warning them against recycling oil.

Food service providers will be punished if they use illegal cooking oil or oil of an unknown origin. In severe cases, their licenses could be revoked, the notice said.

He Dongping, a food science professor at the Wuhan Polytechnic University (WHPU), told the China Youth Daily on Thursday that people in China consume "about 2 to 3 million tons" of illegal cooking oil every year.

"And the Chinese people's annual oil consumption is about 22.5 million tons, which means a ratio of 1:10," he told the newspaper.

The "illegal cooking oil" is usually made from discarded kitchen waste that has been refined, the report said, adding that the oil, which contains a highly toxic and carcinogenic substance called "aflatoxin", can cause cancer.

According to He's research; the illegal cooking oil business is extremely profitable.

"One ton of cooking oil made from kitchen waste costs only 300 yuan ($44). A barrel of oil makes a profit of 70 to 80 yuan. On average, one person collects four barrels. Even if the oil is sold at half the price of ordinary oil, you could make over 10,000 yuan a month. Even a chore man in the business gets a monthly wage of 2,500 yuan," He told the newspaper.

Questions:

1. Which agency issued a warning to restaurants not to use illegal cooking oil?

2. How much illegal cooking oil is consumed in China every year, according to researchers?

3. What is the highly toxic substance found in illegal cooking oil made from discarded kitchen waste that has been refined?

Answers:

1. The State Food and Drug Administration.

2. About 2 million to 3 million tons of illegal cooking oil is consumed every year, according to researchers’ estimates.

3. Aflatoxin, which can cause cancer.

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（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）

About the broadcaster:

Renee Haines is an editor and broadcaster at China Daily. Renee has more than 15 years of experience as a newspaper editor, radio station anchor and news director, news-wire service reporter and bureau chief, magazine writer, book editor and website consultant. She came to China from the United States.