Pork mixed with mutton, watered-down mutton sold, mutton fat mixed with pork sold at a low price, night market mini hot pot

As the weather gradually turns cooler, crowds begin to gather for ginger duck and mutton hot pot, and on the 6th and 7th the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office discovered that mutton wholesale companies including Huayuan, Weifeng and Jinlong were suspected of selling tainted fake mutton, passing off pork mixed with mutton, water-injected mutton and pork mixed with mutton fat as mutton hot pot slices. After testing by the Kaohsiung City Government Health Bureau, it was confirmed that the mutton products were found to contain pork ingredients.

After the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office discovered on the 7th that mutton wholesale companies including Huayuan, Weifeng and Jinlong were suspected of selling tainted fake mutton, it joined with the Kaohsiung City Government Health Bureau to inspect 117 downstream businesses. Prosecutor You Shu-wen, after questioning on the evening of the 8th, said the persons in charge of Huayuan and Weifeng admitted that since the beginning of 2014 they had been selling mutton products adulterated with water.

In the work log of the person in charge surnamed He, the prosecutor found that he graded the mutton he sold into three levels, "Mutton A", "Mutton B" and "Mutton C", according to the mutton content ratio and authenticity. Grades A and B sold at a higher price, and the raw material for making mutton rolls was also mixed with cheaper pork cheek meat, commonly known as "chrysanthemum meat", or minced beef. Grade C contained no mutton at all, just pork mixed with mutton fat to add flavor.

In addition, in the process of making mutton rolls, the person in charge surnamed He would also mix in 20% water or ice to increase the weight, and after making the "mutton rolls" he would sell them at a low price to more than 44 downstream businesses in places including Taipei City, New Taipei City, Yilan County, Hsinchu County and City, Taichung City, Chiayi County and City, Keelung City, Taoyuan County and Kaohsiung City, reaping huge profits.

Jinlong Company, after questioning, also admitted that since the beginning of 2014 it had been selling mutton adulterated with pork, and so far 73 downstream businesses have been traced in Kaohsiung City, Tainan City, Chiayi County, Taichung City and Pingtung County, most of them budget mini hot pot shops or night market mini hot pots.

Expert: Mutton is dark in color, so pigs or cattle not fully bled may be used to pass as mutton

Chen Chun-cheng, an adjunct lecturer at the Extension Education Division of Chinese Culture University, said that to mix pork into mutton, the main things to watch are color and meat texture. Because mutton has a firmer texture, older and leaner pork must be used for the blend, so cuts such as pork front and hind leg meat cannot be used; lean loin meat might work. In addition, mutton is darker in color, so pigs or cattle that were not fully bled must be found, so that the color is closer. After all, there is a price gap between mutton and pork, and anyone with ill intent can simply mix pork with mutton fat to fake it.

Council of Agriculture: Buy authentic mutton at specialty stores bearing the label; there are 55 nationwide

Zhu Qing-cheng, deputy director of the Animal Husbandry Division of the Council of Agriculture, said that unscrupulous operators passing off pork as mutton is despicable behavior and should be condemned.

Zhu Qing-cheng said that many Muslims at home and abroad eat halal meat; if they inadvertently ate mutton adulterated with pork, what then? He suggested that if people want to eat authentic domestic mutton, they can buy it at specialty stores bearing the domestic mutton label; there are currently 55 nationwide.