"China’s Waterborne Cooking Oil Tankers Also Shipping Chemicals, Fuel, Sources Say" 13 July 2024

China’s waterborne vessels that transport cooking oil are also used to ship chemicals and diesel fuel, a Caixin investigation has found, after revelations that tanker trucks also engaged in the practice, sparking public uproar about food safety.

Several industry insiders told Caixin that it’s common for ships to transport both cooking oil and non-edible oils that could be toxic to humans. And while the vessels are cleaned between voyages, it may not be thorough enough, and cleanliness certificates provided by third-party service providers could be fake, the sources said.

On Thursday, the captain of a ship that specializes in transporting edible oils told a prospective customer that the vessel sometimes carries chemical oils and diesel fuel, Caixin has learned...However, it’s now harder for shippers to engage in such misconduct, the captain said...

Since early this month, grain and oil companies have been checking their operations to see if their oil has been transported by vessels used to ship other liquids, and water transport authorities have tightened requirements for providing proof of the cargo they are carrying, the captain said.

“It’s not easy to muddle through now,” he said, adding that whereas they used to be able to get a fake sterilization certificate for no more than 3,000 yuan ($414), it now costs over 10,000 yuan.

In addition, “many edible oil ships are reluctant to take orders for other cargoes,” the captain said, although he said that “if someone is willing to pay double the freight, we have the means to deal with those cargoes as well.”

The authorities have promised to “severely punish” enterprises that break the law and anyone else involved...