An undercover investigation in China has revealed the disgusting conditions in which a wildly popular snack known as 'Spicy Sticks ' are made . The food - made from flour , spicy oil and food additives - is especially popular among young adults and children due to their cheap cost , but reports in the media of them causing extreme sickness have prompted concern . The snacks are popular among Chinese people living abroad , with thousands of people ordering them via online marketplaces such as Amazon - and there was even an online campaign recently to promote the red sticks among Westerners . Scroll down for video . Unhygienic : One worker had blistered fingers due to the chemicals , the undercover investigation found . Hands on : Very few workers wore protective gloves in making the Spicy Sticks . In China they sell for just 10p a pack and are a common sight in primary school tuck shops . The most popular brands sell more than 400,000 packets a month , solely online . But many consumers have reported suffering from severe sickness and diarrhoea after eating them , and one three-year-old girl was reportedly left with festering sores around her mouth after gorging on the snack . People 's Daily Online reported that , during secret , filming at one of the many firms which produce the snack , investigators found one worker handling food with a finger that had blistered through exposure to the chemicals used in the process - without wearing protective gloves . At the factory in Tongxu County , Henan Province , an undercover reporter saw workers visit dirty lavatories and return to work without washing their hands - again without wearing gloves or face masks when handling food . This three-year-old girl allegedly developed sores and ulcers after eating too many of the snacks . Roaring trade : They are popular on online sites such as Amazon . ( There is no suggestion the product pictured here was manufactured at the plant in the undercover filming ) The finished product was also packed with bare hands , with workers ' hands stained by the red oil that coats the food - leading at least one woman to suffer sores on her finger . When challenged as to why they were n't wearing gloves , staff said they slowed down their work . Boxes used to store the snacks were also seen covered in an oil-like substance , while a choking smell filled the entire site . Close to the production line were various boilers , pipes and a large metal drum filled with a reddish liquid that emitted a strange smell as well as a small bucket that was full of black sludge . The manufacturer , Kaifeng Jinsong Food Co , shared the premises with other businesses and there was evidence of paint particles spreading into the Spicy Stick workshop from a toymakers next door . It comes after a toddler in the city of Jiujiang was hospitalised with severe sores and ulcers which were caused by eating too many of the sticks , reports People 's Daily Online . And one blogger claimed he suffered five hours of diarrhoea after eating 10 of the sticks in quick succession to test their effect . Stomach-turning : Many consumers have reported suffering from diarrhoea after eating Spicy Sticks . Stench : The undercover reporter said a vile smell came from vats holding chemicals like the one above . Campiagn : Chinese fans of the snack have been encouraging Westerners to try it and posting their comments online . Many consumers who have bought the snack online have also left comments reporting similar symptoms . Chinese fans of the snack had recently started an online campaign to make it popular with Westerners . A site showing pictures of Western workers in China eating the sticks - known in Mandarin as 'Latiao ' - alongside their thoughts on them , gained a large following . Among the comments on the site were 'latiao is taking over the world ' and 'We 've found the weapon that will defeat America ' . But the campaign that included plans to formally export the spicy snack abroad ended this week as quickly as it started , after the images of the manufacturing process emerged . Chinese media have reported several scares in the past in which the snack had been accused of being unhealthy and even causing cancer . The authorities claim they are working to crack down on breaches of hygiene and safety regulations among food producers . According to the latest report by China Food and Drug Administration , there were 15 brands of Spicy Stick on the banned foods list because they exceeded acceptable levels of acid , bacteria or other chemicals . In 2011 , 53 manufacturers of the snack were ordered to shut down by the Beijing Food Safety Committee , but critics claim many firms continued to operate illegally under new aliases . A manager claiming to be in charge at Kaifeng Jinsong Food Co told the undercover reporter : 'We are checked regularly by the authorities and there are areas that we fail on . If you are talking about washing hands , changing clothes before going to the toilet ... then the workers will find this very constricting and it will be difficult to recruit for this work . '
Undercover worker witnessed appalling hygiene at one factory . Many reports of nausea and diarrhoea , while one toddler developed sores and ulcers around her mouth . Young Chinese are big ##oted , and they cost as little as 10p a ##piece . Many consumers overseas also order them from sites such as Amazon . One factory worker had blistered finger from chemicals used in the sticks . Staff do not wear gloves or face masks when making the snacks . Journalist witnessed workers going to factories and returning to work without touching their teeth . Campaign to convert Westerners to the snack has now stalled .