In 2026, CCTV's "March 15" party was launched, with the theme of "Consuming with Confidence and Quality Life", exposing illegal behaviors that infringe on consumer rights in the fields of food safety, public safety, financial security, advertising market and other fields.
According to the investigation, the chaos in Chengdu Mingyang Food Workshop, which is the pre-processing point for Shufu Xiang Food Chicken Feet, is shocking. The brewing area and trimming area in the workshop are filled with odor, and the pungent fishy smell goes straight into the nose. Muddy sewage has been accumulated on the ground for a long time. Plastic baskets are piled up in a mess. The machinery and equipment are heavily stained and oily. A large number of exposed chicken feet were piled directly on the wet and dirty ground. Cleaning tools such as brooms and shovels were pressed on the ingredients at will. Even if the chicken feet were stepped on by workers, they were just picked up and put back into the processing basket for further use, ignoring the bottom line of food hygiene throughout the process. What’s even more outrageous is that reporters can easily enter the production line without applying for health certificates, physical examinations, and disinfection, and food safety protection is in vain.
Messy ingredients are transformed into white and attractive internet-famous chicken feet, all thanks to a prohibited "bleaching" process. Company staff bluntly stated that the whitening of chicken feet depends entirely on soaking in hydrogen peroxide. Chongqing Zengqiao Food directly uses hydrogen peroxide with a content of up to 35%, which is industrial hydrogen peroxide, to "whiten" chicken feet. According to national regulations, hydrogen peroxide is strictly prohibited from being used in the processing of chicken feet. This strong oxidant will destroy the protein of food ingredients. Long-term consumption will damage the oral mucosa, liver and kidney function, and excessive intake can be life-threatening. The worker involved said frankly that he would never eat chicken feet soaked in hydrogen peroxide, and even advised reporters not to eat them, knowing full well that they are poisonous.
Chongqing Zengqiao Food Co., Ltd. also discovered the use of hydrogen peroxide. The investigators applied to join the company as ordinary workers and successfully entered the production line of this company without health certificates, physical examinations, and disinfection. During the investigation, company insiders personally confirmed that the chicken feet here are bleached with hydrogen peroxide.
The "fair appearance" of Internet celebrity chicken feet is actually an illusion caused by the accumulation of banned chemicals, and the dirty production environment is even more disgusting. Food companies should keep the bottom line of safety and not abandon their conscience and responsibility for temporary gains. Respecting the rules and respecting consumers is the way to operate in the long run.
