CCTV's 315 Evening Gala exposes: the production workshop of internet-famous chicken feet is disgusting, with some products being "bleached" with hydrogen peroxide.

On March 15, according to CCTV’s 3.15 Evening Gala report, in the Sichuan-Chongqing area where chicken feet are in high demand, the Chengdu Mingyang Food production workshop can be easily accessed without a health certificate, any health check, or sanitation procedures. This site is where preliminary processing of Shufu Xiang Food Co., Ltd.'s chicken feet products takes place. Inside the food processing workshop, a large number of chicken feet are directly piled on damp, dirty floors, with cleaning tools like brooms and shovels casually placed on top of the chicken feet. Even if the chicken feet are stepped on, workers simply pick them up and return them directly to the processing baskets for continued use.

However, Article 33 of the Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China clearly states, “Food production and operation shall comply with food safety standards,” and “Containers, tools, and equipment used for storing, transporting, and handling food shall be safe, harmless, kept clean, and prevent food contamination.”

Staff from Shufu Xiang Food Co., Ltd. also stated that the chicken feet produced there are bleached with hydrogen peroxide.

Moreover, China’s National Food Safety Standard for the Use of Food Additives (GB 2760-2024) explicitly prohibits the use of hydrogen peroxide in chicken feet processing.

At Zengqiao Food Co., Ltd. in Chongqing, there are also many recycled blue packaging barrels labeled with hydrogen peroxide, commonly known as double oxygen water, with a concentration of up to 35%. The manufacturer is Jinshan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. in Meishan City, Sichuan. An internal staff member from Zengqiao Food confirmed that the chicken feet here are indeed bleached with hydrogen peroxide.

Further investigation at the seafood frozen product market in the Southwest region revealed that some vendors admitted to using illegal “bleaching” with double oxygen water in their semi-finished chicken feet products.

Businesses illegally selling hydrogen peroxide are not limited to Jinshan Pharmaceutical. In Xinxiang, Yifeng Electronic New Materials Co., Ltd., staff openly promote their products. Additionally, some barrels are labeled with brand-new tags. After “repackaging,” the hydrogen peroxide originally used for bleaching chicken feet has been transformed into “hydrogen peroxide disinfectant for drinking water.”

Following undercover investigations and evidence collection, the State Administration for Market Regulation immediately organized multiple departments to analyze the clues. On March 13, enforcement teams from various regions launched a comprehensive crackdown on this black food processing industry chain, targeting the involved merchants and companies. They conducted surprise inspections on Shufu Xiang, Mingyang Food, Zengqiao Food, and upstream related enterprises.

On March 13, the enforcement team first investigated Shufu Xiang. At its Workshop No. 3, law enforcement officers from the State Administration for Market Regulation seized 27 barrels of food-grade hydrogen peroxide, two of which had been opened. Multiple barrels of chicken feet soaking in hydrogen peroxide were found in Workshops No. 4 and 5. The officers collected samples of hydrogen peroxide, soaking water, semi-finished, and finished products. A total of 232 boxes of Sichuan pepper chicken feet and 319 boxes of aromatic marinated chicken feet, which showed issues in rapid testing, were sealed on the spot.

At the scene, company personnel admitted that since May 2025, they have been purchasing hydrogen peroxide from Jinshan Pharmaceutical for chicken feet processing and equipment disinfection, with a total purchase of 5,242 barrels. Meanwhile, Mingyang Food was placed under investigation for severe violations of food safety laws due to poor production environment. Jinshan Pharmaceutical and Yifeng Electronic New Materials were also investigated for illegally providing unlabeled food additives and violating hazardous chemical management regulations.

Another enforcement team from the State Administration for Market Regulation conducted a surprise inspection of Zengqiao Food. They found four unopened barrels of hydrogen peroxide and one opened barrel that was sealed on the spot in the boiler room on the third floor. Multiple barrels of chicken feet and chicken bones were soaking inside the production workshop, with the liquid continuously bubbling. Surveillance footage showed that staff repeatedly transported hydrogen peroxide within the factory. Sampling confirmed that hydrogen peroxide was present in the soaking water, semi-finished, and finished products.

(Compiled from 3.15 Gala report)