More than 100,000 tonnes of smuggled meat, some of which are from the 1970s, were confiscated by Chinese authorities following a nationwide crackdown spanning 14 provinces and regions, reported China's state media.

The seized meat were reported to be worth about US$483 million.

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"It was smelly and I nearly threw up when I opened the door," a Hunan official told the AFP news agency.

Over 800 tonnes of frozen meat were found in the province. The meat included beef, chicken feet, as well as duck necks, according to the BBC.

In China, poor safety standards in food have been a major concern.

State newspaper the China Daily reported that meat dating from the 1970s were found by officials during a crackdown in Guangxi province, which borders Vietnam.

In Hunan, some of the meat were discovered refrozen after having been thawed out during transit.

Where did the meat come from?

According to authorities, the smuggled meat were smuggled by Hong Kong and Vietnam from countries including Brazil and India.

Typically, the illegal meat would be shipped from abroad then to Hong Kong and then Vietnam. Traders there would reportedly smuggle the meat across the Chinese border without undergoing inspection and quarantine procedures.

The meat would then be transported via unrefrigerated trucks, which cost less. The criminals would then refreeze the meat several times before being sold.

Government officials said that while imported meat is subject to surveillance in Hong Kong, they are not usually tested if they are for re-exporting, according to Quartz.

The police crackdown targeted 21 criminal gangs, with authorities having already arrested 20 people in the province of Hunan alone.

"It was too smelly. A truck full of it. I almost threw up when the door opened," said Customs administration official Zhang Tao in Changsha, capital of Central Hunan Province.

On June 1, the Changsha authorities confiscated 800 tons of frozen meat and arrested 20 suspected gang members.

In more recent news, some of the meat were reported to be sold online, with meat retailers setting up shops on shopping website Taobao, also owned by Alibaba. The shop owners said the meat they sell are local and imported meat.

Even though beef has been barred from the mainland since 2003 following a mad cow disease outbreak, some online sellers claimed that the beef were imported from the United States, reported The New York Times.

Tags40-year-old meat china, food, frozen meat, food safety standards china, food safety standards, Hunan Province, hunan province smuggled meat, Hunan, hunan meat crackdown, Guangxi, Taobao, online shopping