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A hotpot restaurant in Sichuan Province, has sparked outrage after being exposed for recycling leftover chili oil soup from previous diners and mixing it with fresh oil for new customers. Dubbed "saliva oil," this practice has raised serious food safety concerns and triggered a government investigation.
The Nanchong Market Regulation Administration revealed on December 2 that it had confiscated 11.54 kilograms of recycled beef tallow from the restaurant's kitchen. This key ingredient in Sichuan and Chongqing spicy hotpot was found mixed into four ready-made soup bases that appeared different from those made with legitimate ingredients.
The restaurant owner, identified only as Chen, admitted to recycling chili oil from diners’ leftover soup bases since September. Chen claimed the practice was an effort to enhance the soup's flavor and counter poor business performance.
Authorities have since seized the recycled oil and referred the case to local police for further action. Under China’s Food Safety Law, reusing leftover food ingredients is strictly prohibited. Violators face severe penalties, including fines and up to five years in prison under China’s Criminal Law.
This incident echoes past scandals involving “gutter oil,” a term for illegally recycled oil sourced from restaurant waste, which caused widespread public outrage in China. Such practices have long been condemned due to the risks of foodborne illnesses and other health hazards.
Despite the uproar, some diners from Sichuan and Chongqing have defended the practice, calling it a “traditional method” to enhance hotpot flavors. “It’s an open secret among locals,” one netizen commented, “but we still go because hotpot without old oil just doesn’t taste as good.”
Others offered a more cautious perspective, suggesting the recycled oil must be properly filtered and heated to ensure safety. However, concerns remain over the potential spread of infectious diseases through reused food materials.
The Nanchong authorities also revealed they had recently shut down another hotpot restaurant using "saliva oil." As investigations continue, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges in enforcing food safety standards in China.
