In recent news from Epoch Times on March 14, 2026, China’s food safety issues have been frequently exposed. It has been reported that strawberries with pesticide residues or heavy metals have entered frozen-drying processing and circulated in the market. Yunnan frozen-dried strawberries were found to contain toxic heavy metals exceeding the standard by 10 times, with official supervision appearing to be ineffectual.
According to a report by Xinjing News on March 13, in January, Fujian Zhangzhou Taihu Valley Farm Food Co., Ltd. found during self-inspection that their sugar-added frozen-dried strawberries contained cadmium heavy metals exceeding the standard by 10 times, reaching a level of 0.728mg/kg. Additionally, there were over twenty types of pesticides residues exceeding the allowable limits.
The company’s representative, Ms. Lin, stated that the issue was traced back to upstream suppliers providing raw materials, and they have reported this issue multiple times to the local market supervision authorities. However, the upstream suppliers claimed that the current national standard does not set limits for cadmium and pesticide residues in frozen-dried strawberries. Many industry insiders have criticized Ms. Lin’s reports.
These strawberries mainly come from strawberry plantations in Yongren County, Chuxiong Prefecture and Huize County, Qujing City, in Yunnan Province. Lijiang Huaping Jin Mango Eco-Development Co., Ltd. purchases fresh fruits from growers for processing.
Reported by Xinjing News, the strawberry growers were found to be abusing pesticides, even using banned pesticides. They excessively used pesticides beyond regulated limits, such as paraquat and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). However, pesticide manufacturers stated that these pesticides should not be used for strawberry cultivation. Due to the misuse of pesticides, pests developed resistance, rendering the pesticides ineffective in strawberry cultivation in Huize County.
As processing companies purchase raw materials from multiple growers for mixing, it becomes challenging to trace the issues of heavy metals and pesticide residues.
Interviewed strawberry procurement and processing companies indicated their inability to guarantee products without excessive pesticide residues. To meet customer demands, some companies pay testing companies to provide compliant reports or send specific samples without pesticide residues for testing to obtain a “qualification certificate.” Falsifying test results has become a covert practice.
After Ms. Lin from the aforementioned Fujian Zhangzhou Taihu Valley Farm Food Co., Ltd. exposed the toxic heavy metal contamination in frozen-dried strawberries online, several industry insiders volunteered to help address the issue. Some procurement staff mentioned selling the products slowly as authentic, with the option to fabricate specifications and production dates. Another potential acquiring company, Kangmei Lai Natural Food (Taizhou) Co., Ltd., indicated they could accept excessive heavy metals, pesticide residues, or expired products. After collecting the products, they would grind them into powder for producing ice cream and other products.
The related reports sparked discussions among mainland Chinese netizens: “When will food safety truly be ensured?” “Be cautious with deeply processed products.” “Food safety is only implemented on paper and in words.”
Some netizens mentioned, “I never buy and eat these things. If I buy fruits, I wash them at least four times. Similar practices are followed for snacks. In my observation, most people don’t understand or learn. Snack shops are always crowded with parents bringing children.”
Ironically, as mentioned in mainland media reports, when companies reported their suppliers to regulatory authorities, they were told there are no national standards for cadmium in frozen-dried strawberries, meaning the cases did not meet the criteria for investigation. The reports questioned why, despite finding issues, there was no path to resolution.
After the exposure of toxic heavy metals exceeding standards in Yunnan frozen-dried strawberries drew social attention, according to Xinhua News Agency, the Yunnan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has formed an investigation team in collaboration with public security, market supervision, and other departments to conduct on-site inspections of strawberry production bases, processing companies, and distribution markets in three prefectures (cities).
Commentator Li Linyi stated that food safety issues in mainland China have always been severe, yet authorities often turn a blind eye, only conducting investigations and taking actions against related companies and lower-level officials when incidents are exposed. The root of the severe food safety issues lies in the Communist Party taking over China and destroying the moral foundation of Chinese society with atheism.