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Download Some stewed pig ears in East China have been made from chemicals that could cause blood and heart problems, sounding a fresh alarm on food safety. The popular Chinese snacks sold at a market in Ganzhou, the second-largest city in Jiangxi province, were made from gelatin and sodium oleate, the food safety office under the Jiangxi provincial health department said on Tuesday. The case is being investigated by the local public security bureau. A man from Ganxian county of Ganzhou bought some cooked pig ears on March 30, only to find they smelled terrible when he was going to eat them. He sent the ears to the industrial and commercial bureau of Ganxian, and local authorities detained the alleged seller on April 1. Samples were sent to testing organizations this month. The identity of the seller was not revealed, and it is unknown who made the ears. Chinese food safety regulations ban sodium oleate from food, said Fan Zhihong, associate professor of nutrition and food safety at the China Agricultural University. "Adding the chemical makes the ears taste better and makes it hard for customers to discover that the ears are actually fake," Fan said. "Eating an excessive amount of sodium can result in high blood pressure and influence the heart's function." The gelatin used in the artificial pig ears may pose an even bigger health hazard, Fan said. | 
