A farmer transports freshly harvested bayberries to a designated purchasing site in Longhai district, Zhangzhou, East China’s Fujian Province, on May 21, 2026. Photo: VCG

Authorities in Longhai district of Zhangzhou, East China's Fujian Province, have held a number of officials accountable over the "illegal use of additives at some bayberry purchasing sites," according to a report released late Sunday night by local media outlet Longhai News.

According to the investigation results, six entities in Longhai - the district agriculture and rural affairs bureau, the district market supervision bureau, Fugong township, Baishui township, Jiaobian village and Houbao village - were found to have failed in fulfilling their regulatory responsibilities. As a result, the authorities imposed disciplinary measures on the six units and held 23 officials and members of the Communist Party of China accountable in accordance with relevant procedures and regulations, Longhai News reported.

Among those punished, two officials were removed from their posts, 13 Party members were placed under disciplinary and administrative investigations, two officials received formal admonitions, and six officials were publicly criticized, according to the report.

The report added that Longhai district will "draw lessons from the case," strengthen food safety safeguards and "effectively protect the safety of people's food."

The accountability measures came after Fujian authorities intensified investigations into the recently exposed "chemical-soaked bayberry" incident that drew widespread public attention online.

According to a report by Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday, the Office of the Food Safety Committee of Zhangzhou City said that authorities had recovered 540 kilograms of problematic bayberries, seized 20.1 kilograms of illegal additives, launched 12 administrative cases and two criminal cases, and placed five individuals under criminal detention.

Authorities also said that all confiscated bayberries and illegal additives had been destroyed.

The controversy first emerged on May 15, when media reports alleged that some bayberry purchasing sites in Fugong and Baishui townships of Longhai district had illegally used additives to soak bayberries before sale. The reports quickly sparked heated online discussion.

In response, Zhangzhou established a special task force and immediately dispatched multiple departments to the townships involved to carry out joint law enforcement operations, according to Xinhua.

Investigators checked each bayberry purchasing site mentioned in undercover media reports and found that five purchasing sites were involved in the violations. Authorities subsequently seized 225 kilograms of problematic bayberries along with a batch of illegal additives and launched formal investigations, Xinhua reported.

Meanwhile, local authorities have also rolled out broader rectification measures aimed at tightening supervision throughout the bayberry supply chain.

According to Xinhua, Zhangzhou launched a 45-day special rectification campaign starting from May 15, covering the entire bayberry harvesting and marketing season. Officials have been dispatched to frontline stations to oversee all bayberry purchasing sites and conduct full-process supervision.

Authorities have also implemented stricter measures requiring bayberries to pass inspection before entering the market, while enforcing systems including compliance certificates, outbound transport registration and a "blacklist" of dealers, in an effort to strengthen oversight from procurement and storage to final sales, Xinhua said.

Global Times