BEIJING — China's food and drug watchdog agency has found dozens of restaurants using opium to season their food, according to a report by Britain's The Independent citing government officials.

Five restaurants are currently being prosecuted and 30 others under investigation by the country's Food and Drug Administration for using opium poppies as seasoning.

Unsurprisingly, it is illegal to use poppy powder as a food additive in China, according to a BBC report.

The dozens of restaurants around the country caught in the investigation include a popular Beijing hot pot chain.

The incident is far from the first example of restaurants in China failing drug tests. In 2004, 215 restaurants in Guizhou province alone were closed after being caught with opium-laced food, according to The Independent.

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