Rat-Meat Ring Busted: 10 Tons of Meat and Additives Used to Alter Taste in China

Local Chinese residents may have thought they were getting beef and mutton, when in fact, they were getting rat meat.

Chinese authorities busted a large fraud ring that was selling fox, mink and rat meat to unsuspecting customers, according to the South China Morning Post.

Sixty-three people were detained in connection with the ring, and 10 tons of meat and additives were used to alter the foods taste.

According to the People's Daily Online, the ring has been supplying foodstuffs to markets in the area since 2009, with total sales over the period amounting to 10 million yuan or the equivalent of $1.6 million.

The raids were conducted in February, but not reported previously, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security said on its website.

This is certainly not the first arrest that has been made in the country. Many are continuing to be made in the fight against food fraud, which has seen more than 3,500 suspects detained and 20,000 tons of counterfeit meat confiscated over the past three months, according to the ministry.

Other cases involved selling meat of dead animals and "beef jerky" made of duck meat, and use of steroids and sewer oil in foodstuffs, the report said.

Reports show that in 2008, six infants died and 300,000 children became ill after drinking milk that turned out to contain melamine. And just in March, 16,000 dead pigs were fished out of the Huangpu River, Shanghai's prime tap water supply. The hogs had been killed in the winter due to poor conditions in overcrowded farms, and were dumped by farms into the waters.

Officials said they hope keeping a closer eye on food safety will lower food fraud, especially those that have and continue to injury residents.