Stewed pig ears sold in a market in East China's Jiangxi province have been found to be artificial, the local food safety authority said on May 14.

The illegally processed pig ears purchased in a market in Ganzhou, the second largest city of Jiangxi province, were made from gelatin and sodium oleate, according to the food safety officer under the Department of Health in Jiangxi province.

Sodium oleate cannot be used as a food additive according to food safety regulations, said Fan Zhihong, associate professor of nutrition and food safety at the China Agricultural University.

The case is under investigation by the local public security bureau and one man has been detained.

The Industrial and Commercial Bureau of Ganxian, a county in Ganzhou city, hunted down the alleged seller of the manmade pig ears after a resident purchased some ears that seemed unusual in the market on March 30.

According to Fan, the pig ears pose a potential hazard to health.