Pork Mixed with Flavoring and Beef Blood 'Masquerading' as Fresh Beef—Sichuan Busts Million-Yuan Counterfeit Group

According to People’s Daily, police in Shifang City, Sichuan Province, China, recently cracked down on a fake beef production and sales case, deploying more than 60 police officers to dismantle 3 counterfeit dens, arresting 16 suspects, and seizing nearly 1 ton of fake “beef” along with a large quantity of fake production materials, with the case involving more than 1 million yuan RMB.

Police investigations revealed that the group involved used pork as the raw material, smeared it with beef tallow, and mixed in beef blood laced with beef flavoring, processing it to disguise as fresh beef for sale, making huge illegal profits.

It is understood that local environmental food and drug authorities earlier discovered that some mobile vendors were selling “fresh beef” well below market prices, with suspicious quality and sources. Testing confirmed that the so-called “fresh beef” was actually processed pork.

Police then began their investigation using on-site vendors as a breakthrough point. After more than two months, they successfully identified a counterfeit beef production and sales ring that had been active since the second half of 2025. The investigation showed the group, led by individuals surnamed Yang, Li, Su, etc., had established a full supply chain for procurement, processing, and distribution, selling large volumes of fake beef to several regions. This seriously disrupted the market order and also endangered consumer food safety.

After grasping the organizational structure, crime patterns, and den locations of the group, police launched a round-up at 5 a.m. on July 9, taking down three fake meat sites, arresting 16 suspects, and seizing nearly 1 ton of semi-finished fake beef and raw materials, 6 barrels of beef flavoring essence, as well as beef blood and tallow used in production.

Currently, the case remains under further investigation.

The incident sparked heated discussion online. Many people commented: “No wonder the 2 yuan beef skewers at roadside BBQ stalls don’t taste like beef at all.” “I can’t believe pork can even masquerade as fresh beef—just outrageous!”