Product Safety Scandals Reported in China
Since Menu Foods in the United States first announced on March 16, 2007, the recall for cat and dog food products imported from China that were later linked to the deaths of pets due to contamination with melamine in the vegetable protein, a veritable flood of unsafe China-made products have been discovered. In late April and early May, FDA inspectors found many problematic Chinese imports that included frozen catfish contaminated with illegal drugs, ginger tainted with pesticides, dried dates that were filthy, and melon seeds that had been polluted with a carcinogenic toxin.Then, in June 2007, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of 1.5 million China-made Thomas & Friends wooden railway vehicles due to lead paint, followed by other massive recalls of 9.5 million China-made toys in the United States and 11 million in foreign countries due to hazardous magnets or paint with lead in it.The exposure of such problems in the Western media caused widespread health concerns about China-made products around the globe. But it's not the first time Chinese products have been linked to massive health problems. In 1988, at least 88 children in Haiti died due to diethylene glycol-laced medicine. In 1995, 50 tons of the counterfeit Chinese glycerin were shipped to the United States. Fortunately, the deception was discovered before it found its way into products. While American consumers may have been alarmed by the magnitude of the problems, mainland Chinese have been facing them on a daily basis. As a matter of fact, “fake, counterfeit, and sub-standard products” problems have been plaguing Chinese consumers for years, and the problem is only getting worse. Even in China’s official media, often quite conservative in reporting negative news, one can easily spot reports regarding gross food safety violations and horrifying incidents. Following are some examples of incidents and safety scandals in China reported by China’s state media in recent years. Read more ........