App reportedly received a surge in queries this week after newspaper exposed food safety scandal

An app that allows users to track trucks across China has been disabled after a scandal in which reporters discovered that tankers used to transport fuel were also being used to transport cooking oil, without proper cleaning in between.

On Thursday, Chinese media reported that the tracking function on Shipping Help, an app used to track cargos, had been disabled. The app displayed a message saying the service was being “upgraded” and was therefore “temporarily unavailable”.

Previously, Shipping Help’s tracking function could be used by normal people and businesses to inquire about the location of specific trucks, using satellite monitors.

The app reportedly received a surge in queries this week after reports emerged about long-distance tankers used for transporting fuel being loaded up with edible oil for their return journeys, without the tankers being disinfected in between loads. The reports led to fears that oil that may be contaminated with toxic chemicals is finding its way into people’s food.

  • YeetPics
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    523 months ago

    A health and safety scandal in China?!

    I am shocked. SHOCKED!

    • mad_asshatter
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      193 months ago

      Tried searching “fuel+truck+cooking+oil” on baidu and it gave me info on Tiananmen Square, so I’m lost.

  • 👍Maximum Derek👍
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    93 months ago

    Thanks for bolding the most relevant text. The Guardian’s headline is confusing until you get to that part.

  • @riodoro1
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    93 months ago

    Where are the tankies with their chad china „memes”?

  • AutoTL;DRB
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    63 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    Previously, Shipping Help’s tracking function could be used by normal people and businesses to inquire about the location of specific trucks, using satellite monitors.

    The reports led to fears that oil that may be contaminated with toxic chemicals is finding its way into people’s food.

    The news caused outrage in China, and the government has vowed to investigate and punish rule-breakers.

    After the scandal was first reported by Beijing News, a state-run outlet, earlier this month, people started to independently track where the potentially contaminated oil ended up.

    There has been some surprise that a state-run outlet was allowed to publish such a damning report, given the government’s strict censorship regime.

    Some people speculated that the removal of Shipping Help’s tracking function was motivated by a desire to limit the size of the scandal.


    The original article contains 348 words, the summary contains 134 words. Saved 61%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

  • Tomassci
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    43 months ago

    Example #253 of why the Chinese capitalist system sucks.