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There has been a spate of high profile food safety scares in the news.

Dangerous products originating in China entering the food chain has scared consumers.

From pet food to instant noodles. Last year, the discovery of the potentially carcinogenic colorant, Sudan Red, in duck eggs. Then the fake milk powder that caused malnutrition, swollen heads in babies and deaths.

Are people overly paranoid?

Well, firstly, the fact that China's ministry of health has committed to review its current food recall practices and adopt more stringent food safety practices shows all is not well.

More importantly, there is a need to restore confidence to consumers in the world market. The growth of processing industries has added pressure from consumers to ensure better quality of products. But to be sure, it is not easy to monitor or enforce such standards. The State Food and Drug Administration has so far only established its presence at the provincial level and in selected cities.

To be fair, some of the food could be contaminated but some are not.

Unless people are convinced that the authorities and manufacturers and traders ensure high food safety standards, people are likely to err on the side of caution to avoid most foodstuffs from China.

Summary : Toxic Grain

China's industrial and urban sprawl has left more than 10% of its farmland contaminated.

Arable areas continue to shrink by more than 300,000 hectares in the first 10 months of last year alone to a total of 121.8m hectares. This is despite Beijing's efforts to halt the trend with a series of restrictions on luxury developments and the use of farmland for housing or industrial zones.

Industrial runoff - Heavy metals alone are said to poison 12m tonnes of grain and cause £1.3bn in losses a year. Abuse of fertilisers was another problem.

Excerpts :
The Guardian April 23, 2007

The problems are serious enough to warrant official concerns over theland squeeze and the "severe threat" it poses to China's ability to feed itself.

This is of strategic importance for China aspiring great power status to have some measure of self sufficiency as well as curbing on pollution, a global concern.

The well-known Sheridan/Actil blankets supplied to hotels and hospitals are found to contain carcinogenic chemicals, detrimental to health of patients and tourists in Australia. One would think that expensive products are safer. Apparently this was not the case.

If there is any consolation, Sheridan assured consumers that the range are not retailed to households.

Of greater concern are toys and children's clothings found to contain carcinogenic materials as reported earlier in the year.

China has huge potential but it will need to look into imposing strict standards on manufacturers, some of whom may be unscrupulous and out to make a quick buck. The culprits should be given heavy penalties. These are the people who will tarnish the reputation of Chinese products and stunt China's progress.

Decades ago, Japanese products were also shunned for being cheap, shoddy and questionable on ethical and industrial standards. Now they are highly sought after in the world.

Will China have the luxury of time and consumer patience to improve standards?

The spate of negative publicity of Chinese manufactured products continues to shake consumer confidence.

First it was cough mixture, then toothpaste. Panama said ingredients originating from China contained diethylene glycol, a chemical commonly used in antifreeze and brake fluid, a cheaper substitute for glycerin, permitted for use in small amounts.

Some of the reports could have been blown out of proportion.
Yet, there are others who may argue that this is only a tip of the iceberg.

It is difficult for Chinese authorities to control quality of manufactured products in the rural areas countrywide. Chinese officials also pointed out that they have no control over exports to third countries as the diethlene glycol were not sent directly to Panama. But that is not to lessen their culpability. More needs to be done to reassure consumers.

The negative publicity have been traced to some industry competitors trying to discredit rival cheaper manufacturers to dominate market share.

Rumours spread like wild fire. It goes to show one negative report can multiply into many more, often untruthful, adding fuel to fire to the already scandalous food scare.

Apparently a rumour that bananas grown on balmy Hainan island might contain viruses similar to Sars was a pure fabrication, as the Agriculture Ministry sought to reassure consumers who received SMS on such allegations.

Beijing has responded promptly and tightening the inspection of food products especially with the Olympic games hosting next year. It will also increase the reward for uncovering unlawful production methods from 10,000 yuan to 50,000 yuan.

Notably, Beijing will set up a supervision system this year to 'analyse food additives and intensify management of the approval system and record-keeping. Harmful food additives such as colouring and preservatives are commonly used not just in China but in other parts of the world. Many of these chemicals are carcinogenic and bad for health if consumed in large amounts and over a long time. There is a need to limit the usage of such chemicals and put more emphasis in taking care of the health of consumers.

There should be designated agricultural and industrial areas with a considerable buffer between them. Alas, land is scarce, and impefections in the economic systems make this difficult to achieve. With so much chemicals from pesticides, fertilisers and hormones in food products, how could humans not fall ill. No wonder organic products are coveted although demand is still low because of the high cost of production and ensuring its purity.

The Melamine Food Scare - upon closer examination of the component melamine, it only becomes toxic when there is a chemical reaction. In low amounts, it is not toxic. Just like medication and some nutritional supplements, eating too much can be dangerous.

A look at the additive melamine

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WHAT IS MELAMINE?

Melamine is an organic compound, which is 67 percent nitrogen, but also contains hydrogen and carbon, said John Groves, professor of chemistry at Princeton University. It can be produced in a lab, but it is also produced when some pesticides break down, according to James Kapin of the Division of Chemical Health and Safety at the American Chemical Society.

WHAT IS IT USED FOR?

Melamine can serve as a fertilizer, since it's high in nitrogen. Typically in the U.S., however, Kapin said melamine is used to make melamine resin, a polymer similar to plastic and used to coat countertops or cabinets because it is hard and largely heat resistant. These products are often said to be made of melamine, as a shorthand for melamine resin.

IS IT HARMFUL?

When tested in rats and mice, melamine has shown very low toxicity, meaning it is only harmful in extremely high doses. Groves said it has produced stones that resulted in bladder tumors in rats when they were fed a diet that was 10,000 parts per million, or 1 percent, melamine. Such a dose is extremely high for a toxic substance and far surpasses what has been reportedly found in the pet food from China, Groves said. He noted, for example, there was an outcry when benzene was found in soda water to the tune of a couple of parts per billion.

Kapin said the process by which pet food is made or, more likely, the metabolic process of the animals who ate the pet food might have morphed the melamine into a different, more lethal compound, which would explain its toxicity at low levels.

Sentencing former director of the State Food and Drug Administration Zheng Xiaoyu to death for taking bribes in cash and gifts worth more than $832,000 seems very harsh in the eyes of foreigners.

It shows that the Chinese government is serious about restoring its image tainted by recent spate of negative reports. It becomes a moral issue when it involves food that is ingested. Though some of these incidents could be motivated by rival companies and yet to be investigated, strong action demonstrates China's sincerity in resolving the problems albeit step by step. Nevertheless, there's still a lot to be done to salvage the damage done to the world's largest manufacturer.

The problem is serious enough to warrant a total recall of carginogenic blankets. The move begins today. Prior to mounting pressure on Sheridan which imported these from contracted factories in mainland China to.

To the horror of many locals, these toxic blankets which contain formaldehyde at levels almost 10 times the international upper safety limit, continued to be distributed and used in hospitals and hotels, even after the warnings were publicised more than a week ago. Initially, Sheridan merely removed existing stock from shelves. Although it Despite the recall, 227 blankets, sold between February 19 and May 21 in Sheridan's factory outlets, remain at large.

Why Sheridan took so long to react in a socially civic manner is probably because Australia is one of the few developed countries that has no mandated safe upper limit for formaldehyde content in textiles, so a company faces no sanctions if it imports products exceeding the internationally recognised limit. It's all about profits, isn't it?

The negative publicity is going to hurt big businesses bottomlines as much as it will taint China's image in manufactuing.

Those who are quick to subscribe to conspiracy theories may be disappointed. Sheridan conceded that tests it had independently commissioned from the CSIRO on its "Indulgence" blanket had found the formaldehyde content to be unacceptably high. In case many do not know, a large proportion of scientists working in CSIRO are ethnic Chinese, mostly born in mainland China or second generation migrants of Chinese who still maintain strong links with their ancestral motherland. Most Australians and the international scientific community, including China, believe they are highly professional and competent in their work.
There have been many joint projects and collaboration between CSIRO and Chinese counterparts, such as climatic changes.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/car ... 42127.html

http://www.csiro.au/

Want to know how unscrupulous businesses / cooks can get, check this out :

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/ ... TE=DEFAULT

Using 60 percent cardboard soaked in caustic soda and 40% fatty pork mixed with seasoning, this vendor has been selling steamed meat buns or rou bao in Bejing until the negative publicity by the China TV reporter forced it to close down to prevent further harm done on the health of consumers. Yuks!

What about many other dubious cases that have not been discovered yet. Many Asian cooking ingredients such as mushrooms, dates, fungus, dried flowers, tea and vegetables are imported from China. Are they safe for consumption? The further down the food processing and production line, the higher the risk isn't it? Better err on the the side of caution. Eat fresh local grown / manufactured products.

The establishment is juggling a delicate balance. It cites western media hype, not totally for propaganda purpose, but also to pander to nationalist sentiments to keep China united in the face of adversities. Yet, at the same time, this editor acknowledges that something drastic needs to be done to safeguard China's long term development, reputation, prosperity and prestige. It is an understated but positive admission to turn a challenge into an opportunity for improvement. Welcome to the brave new world. As the Chinese saying goes, real gold is not afraid of fire.

As if the negative publicity of China's food scare hasn't done enough to shake confidence. It turned out that a TV journalist eager to increase higher ratings from viewers had concocted the story of "cardboard buns".
Coming from within China's own educated elite is a shock. It just goes to show how some people, misled by their ambitious and selfish pursuits, have lost sight of honesty, integrity and public welfare.

Cardboard Meat

Mock meat and some processed meat such as ham and salami can be made using soy bean.

Authorities in China said specialists determined it was impossible for cardboard buns to go unnoticed.

"Even if you mix a tiny proportion, to say 5 percent, of cardboard, the fiber substance can be easily seen, and the meat buns made this way could not be easily chewed," Xinhua said, citing a Beijing Municipal Food Safety Office spokesman.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/a ... uns_a_hoax

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/ ... d-Buns.php

Candy

But China's food safety continues to churn out heated discussions.
Recently the Philippine's Bureau of Food and Drugs is thoroughly examining over 800 registered food products, including the very famous Chinese White Rabbit candy. It has been alleged that some of the candy “contained formaldehyde".

However, a Shanghai candy manufacturer strongly denounce the Philippine's claims. "Illegal exports are an important factor behind the increasing food scare incidents related to China recently," Li Yuanping,
an official at the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

http://big5.china.com/gate/big5/english ... 31490.html

While imitation may is often said to be a form of flattery, producing fake products are doing a great disservice to the manufacturers and consumers. Take for example fake eggs that looks like the real thing except it bubbles when cooked, can cause brain damage. Can you fathom why people would bother to go through the tedious process of making a cheap product such as egg. The hen certainly won't be amused, pleased, nor flattered.

http://paultan.org/archives/2006/01/01/china/

Many small firms producing imitation or inferior quality food products continues to escape detection. The stakes are high, hence tighter control is necessary to reverse the psychological concerns over "Made in China" labels, especially with respect to food products.

All these would not have happened when China was strictly communist. No one dared try to trifle with the authorities & suffer harsh punishment. The problems were over food shortages than food preparation in morally questionable manner.

Some consumers vouch that canned meat and fish in the old days tasted better than those produced nowadays under the same label. One explanation was only the best quality products were exported overseas. Despite supposed improvement in standard of living and technological advances, cheap inferior quality products now flood the markets.

Yes, in a huge country, it is hard to monitor standards are observed by everyone. The free market system accentuates the problem as any entrepreneur is free to enter and leave the business and would capitalise on the weaknesses of the environment and squeeze the most out of the system and their customers.

While a large population increases the probability of smarter people, I contend that there will also be proportionately higher number of goons and jerks.

There will still be abuses of power no matter what system of government a country has. It is true that in a free economy, it would be harder to impose checks as individual creativity and entrepreneurship are the driving forces. Society set the values and norms. There must be conscience and accountability to society. For without that, mankind will only decline and undermine all the achievements it has made so far.

A new culture is evolving to get rid of the baddies, viz, corrupt China officials for the common good.

Online game designed to eradicate corruption? Hope that virtual can turn into reality?

http://oneworldtalk.freeforums.org/view ... ?p=817#817

This thesis comparing modern China with America 150 years ago argues that it is neither in the national character nor a conspiracy designed to poison humans and their pets. Rather it is a stage of economic development. Nevertheless, there is a need for more stringent regulations to address which will ultimately benefit China, its capitalists, people and the world.

http://oneworldtalk.freeforums.org/viewtopic.php?t=388

Some friends in the TCM and herbal industry in Singapore have been reaping huge profits in recent years. Apparently, the mainland Chinese themselves do not trust their own products. Who knows better than them! There's a high probability that many TCM sold in the market are fake, cheaper alternatives or adulterated with toxic substances.

Manufacturers and distributors of TCM tablets or concoction based in Singapore simply can't keep pace with the brisk sales and demand. Why? The mainland Chinese think that it's safe to buy from Singapore because the health and food authorities are very strict with quality control and health standards. They would have gone through proper inspection, random checks and run tests on the products. Now some of poor man's friends have become successful and rich businessmen!

China's Vice Premier Wu Yi has pushed for major product safety campaign.

Extracts from Reuters : Nov 02, 2007

The feisty Wu in her speech said just because a recent crackdown had achieved positive results, nobody should rest on their laurels

Many pigs were still being slaughtered in unhygienic, underground abattoirs as farmers could not afford to take their animals anywhere else, and in any case many farmers have no idea about food safety laws.

"Everywhere must engage in propaganda, just like that promoting patriotism, public health and family planning, pushing safety knowledge on farm product quality and safety on a grand scale," Wu said.

"Agricultural departments must arrange special budgets, as during the SARS outbreak, to print propaganda posters and illustrated booklets, putting them into the hands of every farmer, and sending them to every rural school," she added.

Wu, nicknamed China's "Iron Lady" for her no-nonsense approach to thorny issues, was rushed in to head China's SARS battle headquarters in 2003 after the health minister and Beijing mayor were sacked for covering up the spread of the deadly virus.

The government is hoping she can pull off the same trick in her new role, winning back a skeptical world unnerved by scandals involving poor quality Chinese products, including fish, toothpaste toys and cough medicine.

"Look closely at the safety of these designs," she said. "Don't just look at how pretty your products are. Seriously think about the effect on human health."

Anyone here misses Maling luncheon meat? I don't, makes no difference to meat. It's basically spam, oily and salty. I'm just not fond of it. Good luck to those who have been taking this as a staple. I know of friends who like pan fried luncheon meat with fried rice noodles or nasi lemak.

China halted all exports from one of the country's best-known food makers yesterday (Dec 7) after Hong Kong and Singapore authorities said they found a bannedt cancer-causing antibiotic Nitrofurans chemical in canned luncheon meat.

The Shanghai-listed firm is investigating its meat supply and tightening in-house procedures following the complaints from Hong Kong and Singapore,
In the latest crackdown, some 1,400 of the country's more than 23,000 abattoirs were shut for failing to meet national standards.

http://www.asianewsnet.net/print/?aid=13857
http://www.asianewsnet.net/biz.php?aid=13857#

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