Crackdown in Zhangzhou: 5 Detained, 540 kg of Tainted Waxberries Seized After Additive Scandal

Five people have been taken into criminal detention and authorities have seized over half a ton of illegally treated waxberries following a media expose on the use of banned additives at waxberry buying stations in Zhangzhou, Fujian Province.

On May 15, a media report revealed that several waxberry purchasing points in Longhai District were using sodium dehydroacetate – a prohibited preservative – and an unlabeled, three-ingredient sweetener reportedly 8,000 times sweeter than sucrose. Workers were seen adding the substances with bare hands, without protective gear. One worker admitted in the undercover media report by Fujian Television Station, "I wouldn't dare eat these 'soaked' waxberries myself."

Famous nutritionist Gu Zhongyi posted on Weibo that sodium dehydroacetate has never been permitted for use on fresh fruit. Furthermore, according to the latest 2024 edition of the National Food Safety Standard for the Use of Food Additives, its scope of use is being progressively tightened.

This follows several new findings from recent toxicology research, including the causation of weight loss, reduced food utilization efficiency, and significant elevations in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which suggest an interference with the endocrine axis. Additionally, studies have shown it can affect blood clotting and bone health, with further research indicating it may also be involved in the progression of certain tumors, including colorectal cancer, according to Gu.

Regarding the sweetener, it has also been found that at relatively high concentrations or doses, it may damage the intestinal barrier and disrupt the gut microbiota, Gu wrote.

The report triggered swift public outcry. Orders for Fujian-grown waxberries dropped sharply, and some sales channels removed Fujian waxberries from their shelves entirely. Certain provinces imposed a blanket ban on waxberries from Fujian, with shipments already delivered being returned – leading to a severe market glut.

In response, the Zhangzhou Administration for Market Regulation issued a statement on Wednesday, confirming that five purchasing points had indeed used prohibited additives to soak waxberries.

At the time of inspection, authorities confiscated 225 kilograms of tainted waxberries and a batch of illegal additives. Administrative investigations were opened. Subsequent tracing led to the recovery of an additional 540 kilograms of adulterated waxberries and the seizure of 20.1 kilograms of banned additives. A total of 12 administrative cases and two criminal cases have been filed, resulting in five criminal detentions.

All seized tainted waxberries and illegal additives have been destroyed, the authorities said.