EDITORIAL METHOD / EVIDENCE
What we know.
How we know it.
A compelling food story becomes more useful when readers can distinguish documented facts from observation, interpretation and illustration.
1 / Claims need identifiable sources
We prefer primary documents such as official published standards, government notices, industry records and peer-reviewed research where appropriate. A linked source should support the exact statement beside it. We do not treat a marketing claim or repeated local anecdote as proof of origin.
2 / Standards have boundaries
A named standard may cover a specific product category, geography or production context. In the first dossier, the Guangdong standard for Shantou beef balls is not represented as a universal specification for every product marketed as “Chaoshan beef balls.”
3 / Numbers carry their original dates
Production counts and export figures are described with the publication date and geographic scope. They are snapshots, not live market totals. We do not infer present capacity, export qualification or stock availability from a historical report.
4 / The image evidence rule
We distinguish between provided sample photographs, licensed documentary images, editorial illustrations and AI-generated concept images. The Hero and the ingredient/process still-life images are AI-generated editorial illustrations, not photographs from a Chaoshan shop or producer. A process diagram illustrates an explanation; it is not a record of a specific factory. A sample cut surface cannot establish regulatory compliance or texture performance.
Provided sample photographs are published for descriptive purposes with project permission; they are not product test evidence. Editorial illustrations are not represented as on-location photography.
5 / How supplier names are treated
Mentions in a public report are evidence of the activity reported, not of current supply terms, factory ownership, exporter status, certifications or our recommendation. A buyer should verify the exact contracting party, manufacturer, product specification, relevant approvals and shipment conditions.
6 / Handling uncertainty and corrections
Where origin accounts disagree, we present the disagreement rather than invent a settled narrative. Corrections should identify the affected statement, the source used to revise it, and the revision date. Corrections can be sent using the published contact email.