Recently, the incident of “mixing edible oil in tanker trucks used for transporting coal tar” in China has sparked public outrage, with many internet influencers condemning the illegal actions of the companies involved. Former CCTV anchor Zhao Pu recently spoke out on social media platforms, revealing some inside information about the tanker truck industry. He believes that the issue of food safety is unavoidable for the common people, stating, “As long as you live here, you cannot escape it.”
In a recent report by the “New Beijing News,” it was exposed that two tanker trucks did not clean their tanks after unloading coal tar, directly loaded edible soybean oil, and left the factory premises. The report revealed the truck’s travel route, implicating a large number of state-owned and private enterprises including Yihai Jiali Jinlongyu Food Group, Huifu Grain and Oil Group, Shandong Luhua Group, and Zhonguchang Group.
The phenomenon of mixing oils in tanker trucks has been prevalent for over 20 years. “Southern Country Morning News” reported in 2005 on the chaotic situation of tanker trucks unable to prevent cross-contamination during cleaning, transporting dangerous chemicals and then food products. Ten years later, Hunan TV’s urban channel once again exposed the “illegal transportation of edible oil by trucks carrying toxic chemicals.”
In response to this, former CCTV anchor Zhao Pu posted a video on Weibo, stating, “Such a serious safety hazard existed 20 years ago. If tanker trucks mixing oils is an ‘open secret’ in the transportation industry, it is terrifying. Public opinion supervision has been ongoing for nearly 20 years, yet this phenomenon has not been eliminated. Isn’t that even more frightening?”
He further added, “I see everyone discussing which unit and brand the involved tanker trucks belong to, trying to avoid the issue. But let me tell you the truth, we cannot escape this. As long as you live here, you cannot evade it.”
When would a situation require the use of a tanker truck for transportation? Zhao Pu explained, “The answer is simple – if you can’t differentiate, you cannot avoid it. Therefore, this matter must be thoroughly investigated and punished. Some lawyers have stated that companies can be held legally responsible for such issues, including criminal, administrative, and civil liabilities. I fully support this – even if it leads to financial ruin, these crimes are unforgivable.”
According to Zhao Pu, food safety is never a trivial matter. While the incident of mixed-use tanker trucks exposes a “problematic link” on the surface, it actually reflects the internal management failure, malfunction of regulatory mechanisms within companies, and long-term system failure.
In fact, China has been plagued by food safety incidents. In addition to the issue of mixed oils in tanker trucks, around 2005, the “China Quality Newspaper” published a report titled “Shooting Behind the ‘Gutter Oil’,” revealing that “gutter oil” was being transported in large quantities from hidden locations in Hebei province and neighboring areas to various places.
In 2008, China faced the milk powder contamination crisis, where infants consuming Sanlu Group’s milk powder were found to have kidney stones. Subsequently, industrial chemicals melamine and cyanuric acid were discovered in the milk powder, affecting nearly 300,000 reported cases. Xi Jinping mentioned in a 2013 conference that if the Communist Party cannot handle food safety in China, questions about its competence would be raised.
Zhao Pu previously gained attention for exposing the issue of “aged yogurt.” In April 2012, he posted a now-deleted Weibo message warning against consuming aged yogurt and jellies due to alarming insider information.
Following this, Zhao Pu abruptly disappeared from appearing on CCTV’s “Evening News” program. According to insiders, if Zhao Pu hadn’t revealed the “aged yogurt” problem, the subsequent investigative documentary “Secrets in Capsules” might have been shelved. However, it was broadcast shortly after on CCTV’s “Weekly Quality Report,” exposing how some capsule enterprises in Fucheng County, Hebei Province were using leather scraps and even discarded shoes to produce industrial gelatin for medical capsules, involving multiple renowned pharmaceutical companies and shocking Chinese society.