Authorities investigate sausage maker's sick pig scandal

In China's latest food safety scandal, authorities are looking into allegations that one of the country's most famous sausage makers used sick pigs in its products.

The situation came to the fore on Wednesday night, when state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) reported that Xincheng Jinluo Group in Linyi City of the eastern Shandong Province, allowed a supplier to transport unquarantined pigs to its factory in Dezhou City.

The factory then purchased sick pigs and pigs that had suffered foot-and-mouth disease, even though the animals' ear tags and quarantine papers were printed by the sales agents themselves, reported CCTV.

In a statement released on Friday, Shandong's provincial bureau of animal husbandry and veterinary medicine said it will conduct a thorough investigation into the case, and will punish anyone implicated in accordance with law.

Xincheng Jinluo Group said on its website that it has halted all production at its Dezhou factory and sealed up all the products there, and that it will cooperate with investigators.

Founded in 1994, the group is one of China's leading meat product makers. It has an annual manufacturing capacity of three million tonnes, according to its website.

The scandal has made a splash on the Internet.

"I will have to give up sausages, again," wrote a netizen with the screen name "XiaoxinGin" on microblog Sina Weibo.

"I've always preferred Jinluo sausages because I trusted the brand, but now my confidence is battered," read another comment.

China's food safety credentials have taken hit after hit in a slew of high-profile food scandals that have shaken the confidence of consumers, particularly the one in 2008 when melamine-tainted baby formula caused the deaths of at least six infants and made 300,000 ill.

Last year, Shanghai Husi Food Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of global food processor OSI Group, was revealed to be supplying out-of-date meat labeled with phony expiration dates. Endi