Drainage Oil From Another Perspective

The case of drainage oil from China maybe old news for some readers but it is a new one for me, having heard about it from a friend last week. I think that it is a case worth mentioning if we are to consider that China’s food industry continues to draw flaks. However, I would like to end this post with some thought-provoking statements.

For those of you who need a refresher or have never heard about this case, drainage oil is a term used to describe used cooking oil that is poured into the drainage. Rumor has it that some oil recyclers literally collect them from the drainage, process and then sell them back as recycled cooking oil.

According to the media, this is a serious problem in China but is it really true? Could it just have been a case that is blown out of proportion in light of the negative publicity surrounding China’s food industry? If this idea of recycling cooking oil from the drainage has been carried out in the developed countries, would it have been viewed negatively? Would it instead have been singled out as an innovative technique?