THE SHENYING SALT COMPANY in Pingdingshan, Central China's Henan province, is recalling its rock salt products, which customers in several provinces have complained give off the odor of smelly feet when heated. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Friday:

Although the company has recalled over 7,000 tons of its salt products and further production has been halted, there are questions unanswered: Are the salt products really "harmless" as claimed, and how did the provincial salt management bureau came to that conclusion?

Questioned about the cause of the bad smell in March, the Henan company blamed butyric acid, a harmless chemical often found in goat's milk. While an inspection by the Henan provincial salt management bureau found that the salt did not conform to national standards, it said the bad smell is caused by several chemicals that are not harmful to humans.