China seizes 20 tonnes of out-of-date meat including chicken feet 46 YEARS past sell-by-date

A police raid of an illegal food store in southern China has exposed tonnes of rancid, decades-old chicken feet being 'processed' to be sold to unassuming customers.

The decaying feet, some dating back to 1967, were being 'cleaned up', plumped up and whitened at the 'foul-smelling' plant using bleach and other chemicals, before being prepared for sale.

Police, who raided the criminal operation in May, said they also found beef tripe, cartilage and other out-of-date animal organs - all of which had been smuggled across the border from neighbouring Vietnam. In total 20 tonnes of illegal meat was seized.

According to local media, the gang, based in Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, was able to make up to 16,000 yuan (£1,750) profit on every tonne of the putrid meat, by injecting it with chemicals, increasing its weight by 50 per cent.

Among the seized meats over the last 12 months, police have found hundreds of bears' paws - another bizarre food sought after by Chinese chefs.

SOURCE