Amid the many consumer rights abuses singled out on March 15, World Consumer Rights Day, one fraudulent practice has triggered massive online debate in China: the substitution of meat with mashed chicken bones in some sausage products. Grilled sausage skewers are one of the most beloved street foods in the country. Their popularity, however, has collapsed, as millions of netizens swear to never eat them again.

One of the side effects of the new boycott, which began among netizens, has been the hard blow it has delivered to vendors trying to make a living by selling sausage skewers. The public has been aching over a news story about an old man in Sanmenxia, Henan Province, who had to eat all of his own stall's sausages because he had absolutely no customers.

The exposure of dirty business secrets can effectively raise awareness of the importance of food safety. However, the solution to consumer rights abuses does not lie in a complete ban, but the upholding of integrity on the part of businesses, as well as a continuous effort to upgrade industry standards.

(This is an edited excerpt of an opinion piece on Rednet.cn on March 18)