"Saliva-Free" Butcher Handling Lamb with Mouth... China Faces Another Hygiene Controversy

Authorities Claim "Video Aimed at Attracting Followers"

Another hygiene controversy has erupted in China.

Following the uproar caused by a video exposing urination on raw materials at the Qingdao Beer production plant, a new video showing lamb being prepared by mouth at a butcher shop has spread, shocking the public.

Photo by South China Morning Post

On the 24th (local time), Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that a video of a butcher in Anhui Province, eastern China, trimming lamb with his mouth is circulating online.

In the video, the butcher is seen biting raw lamb ribs with his teeth. The employee insisted on this method, saying, "Using the mouth instead of tools is a decades-old traditional technique that allows faster removal of bones," and claimed, "Experts do not leave traces of saliva."

However, the butcher shop is currently under investigation for this act, and a public official stated that the video was created to attract followers. He also dismissed the claim as, "This is not a traditional technique," and added, "No one applies raw lamb ribs with their mouth," trying to quell the controversy.

Nevertheless, netizens who have already experienced multiple hygiene scandals in China were not easily appeased. They criticized, saying, "(That is) disgusting and not hygienic at all," and "Calling it a traditional technique does not make his actions 'less repulsive.'"

Earlier, on the 19th of last month, a video surfaced on Chinese social media showing a man urinating in the malt storage area at the Qingdao factory in Pingdu City, Shandong Province, causing an uproar.

This video also spread domestically, reigniting hygiene concerns related to Chinese food products following the 2021 'Naked Kimchi' controversy.

Beerkey, the domestic importer of Qingdao Beer, explained, "The factory in the video produces beer only for the Chinese domestic market and is unrelated to the imported products."

However, as the hygiene controversy did not subside easily, sales of Qingdao Beer in convenience stores and other outlets also showed a decline.

According to customs trade statistics on the 16th, last month's imports of Chinese beer amounted to 2,281 tons, a 42.6% decrease compared to the same month last year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.