Daniel Zhou of the South China Morning Post reports a Shaanxi meat factory has been fined 5,000 yuan (HK$5,850) for incorrectly labelling ingredients on its preserved meat products that contained extra injected water and food additives, a mainland newspaper reported, but the finished products passed quality tests despite an official describing the factory as the “worst” he had seen.

The meat from the factory in Xian, labelled “Hunan Preserved Meat”, is softer and brighter than most similar preserved meats due to the extra water and food additives injected during the production, a former worker in the factory surnamed Zhang told the Chinese Business View.

Zhang said the director bought water injection machines and instructed workers to increase the additives, including sodium tripolyphosphate, carrageenan and starch. The additives helped preserve more water in the curing process, greatly increasing the yield.

The allegations were reported to the food and drug administration in Xian in July and officials paid a surprise visit to the factory for an unannounced inspection on July 13.

The meat factory, which lacked a proper sign on its front door, was operating in a Xian industrial zone with its door locked and when the officials arrived it took more than 10 minutes for anybody to come to the door.