Recently, Mr. Wang from Liquan County, Shaanxi Province, exposed in a video that a large truck parked on the side of the road in Liquan County was filled with rotten apples. He suspected that these rotten apples were being taken to the nearby Liquan Andely Fruit and Vegetable Juice Co., Ltd. to be juiced.
Upon passing by this morning, Mr. Wang stated in a video posted on August 26 that there were seven or eight trucks parked there. He lives near the street where the trucks are parked and can smell a sour stench every day when passing by on his way to and from work. Moreover, dark juice seeped out from the seams of the truck compartments, dripping onto the street pavement.
He pulled out a few apples from the truck compartment and found them all to be rotten. Mr. Wang pointed out that not far from the truck parking spot is the Liquan Andely Fruit and Vegetable Juice Co., Ltd., leading him to suspect that these rotten apples ultimately ended up in that company.
Mr. Wang also informed Zonglan News that for several consecutive days, he saw more than one truck loaded with rotten apples entering this company.
On the afternoon of the 27th, a reporter from Red Star News went to Liquan County Science and Technology Road as mentioned by Mr. Wang and confirmed that the situation was indeed as described by him. According to a truck driver who spoke to the reporter, the apples on these parked fruit trucks were all prepared to be transported to Liquan Andely Fruit and Vegetable Juice Co., Ltd.
However, the manager of the company, Mr. Zhang, claimed that the apples parked at the factory gate were for inspection, and if the quality of the raw materials is too low, they would be returned. When asked by the reporter if they could provide video footage and paper materials of the fruit sorting process, Mr. Zhang again avoided the question, stating that approval from the company’s superiors would be needed.
The related news has sparked public concern online. On August 28, employees from the Liquan County Market Supervision Administration informed a reporter from Modern Express that they have already requested the company to cease operations, and an official notice will be issued after the results of the subsequent inspections are available.
It is worth noting that the implicated Liquan Andely Fruit and Vegetable Juice Co., Ltd. is a well-known leader in the juice industry and is an important subsidiary of the A-share and H-share listed company Andely Juice Co., Ltd.
According to information on the official website, Andely was founded in 1996 and is a key enterprise of Shandong Andely, one of the world’s major producers and suppliers of concentrated fruit juice. Its clients include many renowned domestic and international brands such as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Wahaha, and Uni-President.
As of the close of trading on August 28, Andely’s stock price was reported at ¥21.6, a decrease of 1.59% compared to the mid-year high of ¥49.28, with a total market value of ¥7.35 billion.
So, can rotten apples really be eaten? Experts suggest it is better not to. Because mold tends to grow in the decaying parts of apples, and these molds can produce a fungal toxin called patulin. Consuming rotten apples or juice containing this toxin may lead to damage in the nervous, respiratory, and urinary systems, causing symptoms like nerve paralysis, pulmonary edema, kidney failure, and even potentially leading to cancer, posing a life-threatening risk.