On August 19th, a video showing staff members at a hotpot restaurant in Chongqing collecting waste oil from an outdoor sewage bucket went viral on social media, sparking intense discussions among netizens about food safety. Many netizens also left comments on the restaurant’s social media account, hoping for a response from the business. The restaurant replied, stating that there were inadequate regulations on staff training. This topic quickly climbed up the trending list on August 20th.
On August 18th, a netizen posted a video alleging that staff members at a hotpot restaurant in Chongqing were scooping gutter oil from a trash bin, raising questions about whether the oil would be reused.
In the video, a woman scooping the oil was wearing a uniform from “Auntie Hotpot Restaurant” and claimed to be a new employee at the establishment.
The video shows the person filming asking multiple times, “What are you going to do with this oil?” To which the woman replied, “Scoop it out to… mix it like that…”
Due to the unclear and ambiguous response, the video immediately sparked speculation among netizens about the “waste oil’s purpose.”
Many netizens believed that the woman collecting waste oil intended to add it back into the hotpot, leading them to comment on the restaurant’s social media account with remarks like “real gutter oil,” “using this oil might not be good,” and “no matter the taste, food safety comes first,” among others.
According to a report by the Xiaoxiang Morning Post on August 19th, staff members from the hotpot restaurant were contacted, confirming that the incident did occur on August 18th, and the individual seen in the video was indeed an employee of the restaurant.
Cover News reported that upon checking the map, “Auntie Hotpot Restaurant” is located in the Jiulongpo District of Chongqing. The restaurant’s owner stated that the woman in the video is indeed their employee, saying, “She is in her 50s, she brings back those oils to make some extra money.” The restaurant owner reiterated that they do not use such oil in their establishment.
In response to the netizens’ doubts, the business also mentioned that the local market regulatory department had conducted an inspection at the establishment.
The restaurant’s official account on a certain platform responded to the comments of netizens, stating that there were inadequate regulations on staff training at the store.
The topic of “hotpot restaurant staff scooping oil from trash bins” trended and sparked discussions among netizens. Some netizens questioned the statements made by the individuals responsible for the restaurant.
Chongqing netizen “a7bda0a”: What a shock, that hotpot restaurant is right across from our community.
User “i只是一個樹洞a”: Sichuan hotpot restaurants are all like this… really… the kitchens of Chongqing hotpot restaurants are like this, locally known as “saliva oil,” the older it gets, the more fragrant it becomes, and it is boiled and cooled down again every night for reuse.
User “百度網友3c1c494”: Sichuan hotpot uses “saliva oil,” where the bottom of the pot is drained into a special iron pot in the kitchen with a filter, then the oil is boiled. This high temperature is sterilized, not hygienic, and indeed, countless people have eaten it.
User “柔滑又如意的仙人掌0”: There are no specialized facilities in the country for recycling and processing this oil; it is not possible to recycle it for another purpose. It’s probably going back onto the dining table after being processed by others.
User “你聽我說塞”: Selling waste oil? Others process it and then sell it back to the hotpot restaurants.