Food safety watchdogs in Southwest China's Yunnan province asked a local oil company to stop manufacturing edible oil products they suspect contain industrial fatty oils and to recall all products sold in the province.

Initial investigations revealed that the Yunnan Fengrui Oil and Fat Co Ltd was suspected of producing three types of cooking oil with animal fat that is only supposed to be used for industrial purposes, it was said at a news conference jointly held by three government departments including the Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision.

Liu Yunfeng, the head of the division of food production supervision from the bureau, told media at the conference that relevant food safety authorities had investigated thousands of food markets and restaurants and had ordered the oil company to recall more than 130 tons of inferior oil by late Monday. The company has set up offices across the province to handle the recall. It will compensate customers and clients for the cost of the recall, People’s Daily reported on Wednesday.

Industrial animal fat is banned from use in food products because it does not meet hygiene standards for cooking oil and contain high levels of chemicals.