March 15th every year is Consumer Rights Day in mainland China. Recently, reporters from China Central Television conducted undercover investigations into several prefabricated meal companies in Fuyang, Anhui Province, revealing the use of “lymph meat” (referring to the neck meat with more lymph on the pig’s head and torso connection) to make Mei Cai Kou Rou, sparking widespread public discussion. After the CCTV “315” evening program aired, many e-commerce platforms in mainland China delisted the implicated products. Live streamers who had promoted these products were criticized by netizens for failing to ensure quality.
It is understood that among those named were several companies including Anhui Chuxiansheng Food Co., Ltd., Fuyang Chun Tian Food Co., Ltd., and Anhui Donghui Food Technology Co., Ltd. They were exposed for using untreated “lymph meat” to produce Mei Cai Kou Rou prefabricated meals. When interviewed by CCTV, a person in charge of one of the companies stated that “lymph meat” accounted for 60% of the ingredients used, and when asked if it was safe, a worker replied, “I don’t eat it.” Another worker even said, “The glands are still there, but if we remove them all, the meat won’t be thick enough.”
According to mainland regulations, “lymph meat” contains a large amount of lymph nodes, fat nodules, and thyroid glands, and is a part of pork that must undergo strict processing. It is recognized as a low-quality and inexpensive part of pork.
The Fuyang Municipal Market Supervision Administration responded that the “315 Evening Gala” exposed problems with Fuyang Chun Tian Food Co., Ltd., Anhui Donghui Food Technology Co., Ltd., and Anhui Chuxiansheng Food Co., Ltd. using untreated “lymph meat” to produce Mei Cai Kou Rou. Local market supervision, public security, and other joint law enforcement teams rushed to the scene immediately and sealed off the implicated companies, sealing all finished and semi-finished products and raw materials on site. The legal representatives of the implicated companies have been summoned by the public security organs. Follow-up investigations and severe penalties will be conducted in accordance with the law and regulations, and the results will be promptly announced to the public.
Additionally, it has been reported that this year, the State Council’s Food Safety Office, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the State Administration for Market Regulation will deploy a nationwide “Special Rectification Campaign to Crack Down on Illegal and Criminal Activities in the Meat Products Industry.”
Furthermore, this year’s “315 Evening Gala” also exposed issues such as abnormal noises in the drive shaft of the BMW 530Li model, false advertising by Tinghua Jiu, several companies using untreated “lymph meat” to produce Mei Cai Kou Rou prefabricated meals, and many marriage and dating platforms exploiting consumer anxiety.
BMW Group also released a statement stating, “Regarding the ‘abnormal noises in the drive shaft’ issue raised by some BMW 530Li users, we have previously conducted technical checks and confirmed that this phenomenon does not affect driving safety and can be resolved through maintenance. BMW will bear all related maintenance costs. We will further conduct technical reviews and in-depth analysis to provide consumers with satisfactory answers. We deeply apologize for any inconvenience caused to users!”