Hygiene and cleanliness are the major concerns of the hospitality industry. When people go out to eat, they choose places that have these in place. However, some people tend to overlook these things for the sake of taste and flavour.
A new incident has come to light wherein a restaurant in China was using recycled oil that they collected from leftover food. This oil was being used for the preparation of new dishes. While some people were shocked to find out this fact, others remained unbothered by this.
A hotpot restaurant in the Sichuan province of China was penalized by authorities after their unhygienic practices were revealed. A report in South China Morning Post said that the Nanchong Market Regulation Administration conducted a raid at the restaurant after they received complaints of unsafe food handling.
It was during the raid that the authorities found that the restaurant was reusing oil that they collected from leftover food. This oil was then mixed with fresh oil to prepare fresh meals for the next customers. The oil is also known as 'saliva oil' because it is contaminated with the saliva and food of prior diners.
During the raid, the authorities found huge amounts of soup and used oil in the restaurant. The owner of the restaurant has accepted that they were using 'saliva oil' as it helped to improve the taste of the food.
Food Safety Law of China which was enacted in 2009 prohibits the practice and one might also have to pay penalties along with prison sentence.
While authorities have taken action, customers and social media users said that they were aware of the practice and that it helps to enhance the taste of the food. One of the users said that using saliva oil in hotpot is an open secret.
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