A woman in Shenzhen scoops grease out of the sewers in order to make gutter oil, a highly toxic but lucrative commodity in China.
If you’re taking a trip to China any time soon, you may want to plan your meals in advance. Depending on where you eat, your snack may be prepared with “gutter oil.”
What is this substance? It’s cooking oil made from animal fats found in garbage, meat scraps and even grease found in sewage — all mixed together and processed before being sold off to cheap restaurants and street vendors.
The woman tells RFA that she has made enough money from gutter oil to build her family a house in her home village. It’s not exactly glamorous work, but business is booming. An estimated 10 per cent of China’s cooking oil is said to be this kind of gutter oil.
The Chinese government has tried to halt the practice but the economic incentives may be too strong to fully stamp it out. After all, there is a lot of money to be made, especially among poorer people willing to do the work of gathering the raw materials. In 2012, even some Chinese pharmaceutical companies were accused of using the cheap gutter oil instead of pricier alternatives.
The health effects can be nasty as well, since this stuff is basically toxic. It is filled with carcinogens and can cause severe abdominal pain and diarrhea to anyone who eats food prepared with gutter oil. Some things, after all, are not meant to be recycled.
http://o.canada.com/news/oddities/gutter-oil-is-even-more-disgusting-than-it-sounds/