Qingyuan deli caught adding borax to meatballs
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A deli in Dongpi town, Lianzhou, in Qingyuan, Guangdong, was found to have added borax to meatballs and yuba meat rolls to make them springier in texture, according to local market regulators. During a joint raid with police, inspectors said samples of meatballs, yuba meat rolls, meat paste and white powder used as an additive all tested positive for borax. Authorities said the operator had purchased borax and mixed it into meat products, with cumulative sales reaching 27,160 yuan, and the case has been handed to public security authorities on suspicion of producing and selling toxic or harmful food. The Guangdong market regulator has also warned that borax remains a recurring illegal additive in foods such as rice dumplings, noodles and dumpling wrappers despite long-standing bans
Key Points
- The raid targeted a popular cooked-food shop in Dongpi town, Lianzhou, after local market regulators and police carried out a surprise inspection
- Meatballs, yuba meat rolls, meat paste and seized white powder from the premises all tested positive for borax, investigators said
- Regulators said the operator had deliberately bought borax and added it to meat products, with total sales linked to the case at 27,160 yuan
- Borax is a white crystalline powder commonly used in industrial products such as detergents, cosmetics and insecticides, not as a legal food additive
- The report said adult poisoning may occur at 1 to 3 grams, while about 15 grams can be fatal; 2 to 3 grams may kill infants
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong residents who regularly travel north to Guangdong for street food and cooked snacks, the case is a reminder that texture-enhancing additives can pose serious health risks when illegally used in familiar foods. It also underlines the need to be cautious about processed items that seem unusually bouncy or unnaturally firm, especially meatballs, rolls and other ready-to-eat products named by regulators