The gutter oil issue in China

Abstract

In China, the term gutter oil collectively refers to the oils recovered from various types of food waste, used cooking oil and food processing waste. People are deeply concerned about gutter oil returning to the dining table disguised as cooking oil. Driven by profit, some illegal companies and individuals have formed a illegal supply chain to refine the waste oils from various food sources and sell it as cooking oil, and the operation usually spans several provinces. As a result, many Chinese biodiesel manufacturers cannot compete with these illegal processing facilities for feedstock and are facing survival challenges. However, research on the gutter oil issue has been lacking. This review paper integrates information from various reports on gutter oil and summarises the existing gutter oil inventory, the illegal supply chain from gutter oil to dining table and the management practices in China and the USA, to gain a better understanding of the gutter oil issue, the challenges and possible solutions.