One pig farmer said he had sold quite a few "bodybuilder pigs" to the Jiyuan branch of Shuanghui over the last year. Because of his good relationship with the managers responsible for receiving the pigs, they usually would not inspect his pigs for the drug, he said.

Shuanghui Group is a well-known meat processing firm with annual meat production of 3 million tons. Its Jiyuan-based subsidiary is mainly involved in pork slaughter and processing. The company has both chain and franchise production facilities.

Domestic and foreign scientific research has found consumption of meat containing clenobuterol hydrochlorine to be harmful to humans, frequently leading to nausea, dizziness, weakness, shaky hands and other symptoms of poisoning. The drug is especially dangerous to those who suffer from heart disease or high blood pressure. Long-term consumption could lead to chromosome aberration, a cause of malignant tumors.

In February 2009, meat containing the "lean meat drug"poisoned70 people in Guangzhou.

In 2002, the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health and State Food and Drug Administration announced a ban on adding clenobuterol, ractopamine hydrochloride and five other kinds of "lean meat drugs" to animal feed or drinking water. In 2008, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and Ministry of Public Security issued new criminal prosecution standards allowing authorities to investigate and charge producers and sellers of food products tainted with poisonous "lean meat drugs."