China’s annual Consumer Rights Day gala has uncovered alarming food safety violations in the poultry processing industry, revealing widespread use of toxic chemicals to bleach chicken feet for aesthetic enhancement. The nationally televised 3.15 Gala, produced by China Central Television, documented how producers are illegally using hydrogen peroxide to transform chicken feet into visually appealing but potentially hazardous products.
Undercover investigations in Sichuan province and Chongqing municipality exposed multiple facilities operating without proper health certifications or sanitation protocols. At Chengdu’s Mingyang food production workshop—a preliminary processing site for Shufuxiang Food Co—reporters documented filthy conditions where chicken feet underwent chemical bleaching processes. Workers openly admitted using hydrogen peroxide, a strong oxidizer banned in food processing, to achieve the desirable white appearance.
The investigation expanded to reveal similar practices at Zengqiao Food Co in Chongqing, where barrels labeled with hydrogen peroxide concentrations as high as 35% were discovered. Employees at both facilities acknowledged avoiding the chemically treated products themselves while continuing to produce them for market distribution.
Medical experts warn that hydrogen peroxide consumption destroys proteins and nutrients in food, potentially damaging oral mucosa, liver, and kidney function. Excessive intake can prove life-threatening, raising significant public health concerns about long-term consumption.
Following the exposé, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation launched immediate enforcement actions, conducting surprise inspections and seizing numerous barrels of hydrogen peroxide from implicated facilities. Initial findings confirm Shufuxiang had purchased over 5,242 barrels of the chemical since May 2025 specifically for chicken feet processing.
The Sichuan Market Supervision Administration has announced a comprehensive province-wide rectification campaign targeting food production and processing standards, signaling intensified regulatory scrutiny following the consumer rights revelation.