450kg of toxic nuts sold by arrested Beijing vendor
Staff Reporter
2014-01-27
The Beijing police investigating the toxic peanut products. (Internet Photo)
A man in west Beijing's Mentougou district has been arrested for selling fried peanuts containing toxic chemical Rhodamine B, added to make his products look good, reports Beijing Times.
The 49-year-old man surnamed Yang sells fried peanuts in a market in the district. He started to add the chemical nearly a year ago and had sold about 450kg of the toxic nuts by the time he was arrested.
Yang said he had been requested by one particular customer to add a bottle of red powder into the peanuts. Yang knew peanuts should only be processed with salt and spices, but with such a large order, Yang complied with the request.
In order for the powder to stick, Yang had to add it to water and soak the peanuts in the concoction before frying them. It was then that he discovered the facelift the powder had given the nuts. It was even able to cover bruises and other unsightly imperfections, convincing Yang to start using it regularly.
He sold 75kg of peanuts in the first month after he started with the additive.
The police cracked down Yang's factory on Oct. 17 last year and found 75kg of toxic peanuts and the powder. Yang does not have a license for processing food, an unintentional bust. The police found the powder contained Rhodamine B, which is a tested carcinogen.
