A screenshot of an online store on an internet platform shows the sale of unauthorized beef.
(ECNS) - Unauthorized and potentially hazardous American beef has crept into China's online market without approval from Chinese regulators, the Beijing Times reported on Wednesday.
Overseas beef entering China requires at least four document approvals from China's Customs Office, and most Taobao online retailers have none of them. Some of the "American Angus Beef" sells for 98 yuan ($16) per kilogram.
More than 200 online retailers offer unauthorized American beef. According to customer feedback, most consumers eat the beef with their families and it is particularly popular with children.
China does not import beef from the U.S., and purchasing beef from an unauthorized country could be risky, says a Shenzhen official.
Illegal beef in China is mostly smuggled in from Brazil, India and the U.S.. China's domestic beef price is at least 50 yuan per kilogram, while Brazilian beef is only half that. A ton of smuggled beef can bring in between 20,000 to 30,000 yuan.
