The government of the People’s Republic of China–the same folks who have blocked their citizens’ access to my blog, as well as Shakesville, HorsesAss, and an enormous number of American websites–claim they have conducted their investigations and found that the practice of melamine-adulteration was limited to a couple of individual companies. Therefore, they state, Americans can once again have confidence in the safety of China’s exported food and ingredients.
The FDA is apparently buying it, so to speak, despite reports from actual Chinese farmers and individuals who’ve admitted that melamine-spiking of animal feed and grains is commonplace and has been going on since the early 1990’s, when the previous method of cheating–urea-spiking–was exposed by lab tests.
SHANGHAI, China — China says further checks on food exporters have turned up no sign of a chemical blamed in the pet deaths in North America, and urged U.S. authorities not to take additional measures against Chinese producers.
The government body responsible for overseeing food safety said it accompanied U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspectors on visits to two companies blamed for the chemical contamination on May 8-12 following the publication of the results of China’s own investigation.
The incidents involving Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. Ltd. and Binzhou Futian Biology Technology Co. Ltd. were “special individual cases,” the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said in a statement viewed on its Web site Wednesday.
[...]
The statement said FDA inspectors also expressed satisfaction with the quality controls and tracing measures in place at another exporter of vegetable protein, Sinoglory, saying those met U.S. production standards for similar products.
“China emphasizes that its determination to crackdown on law breaking enterprises is firm and its policies are effective,” said the statement.
“We hope the American side will accurately and objectively deal with problems among individual companies and not take stringent measures against other Chinese companies producing the same type of products,” it said.
And not take stringent measures against other Chinese companies… Oh, I don’t think Chinese officials need to worry too much. Not only is the US government not doing any banning of Chinese grains, they’re actually discussing–seriously!–importing their poultry. Besides, we kind of owe them, don’t we?
Also at litbrit.
20 Comments
May 16, 2007 at 9:53 am
So… how long until we get legislation requiring mandatory testing for all imported foods, medicines, and ingredients for the production of food or medicine?
I guess the next best thing would be a change in labeling law, requiring foods and medicines to not only list the country of manufacture, but also the country-of-origin of ingredients used… that way, consumers could ‘vote with their dollars’ and make an individual choice about which countries to trust as suppliers.
May 16, 2007 at 10:03 am
Remember, always remember the real root cause of all of this: unfettered capitalism, the wet dream of conservatives all over America.
American CEO’s just love doing business in places like China, because the regulatory environment there is what they’re spending millions of dollars every year to create here.
I have no doubt whatsoever that the FDA officials were told to go over to China, make some noise, China will announce how “seriously” they’re taking it all, and you will be satisfied. Just more theatre to amuse the masses while the serious business of destroying lives to make a buck continues unhindered.
May 16, 2007 at 10:05 am
By the way, one mightconsider it a badge of honor that you’ve been banned for following this issue!
May 16, 2007 at 10:06 am
Wow banned in China!! That would make a great T-shirt! Congratulations!!
I’m with Arkades on the labeling law. I am a hard -core label reader myself.
May 16, 2007 at 10:28 am
Great point, Ark. The same GOP that touts the wonderful marketplace as a better decision-maker than a centralized authority wants the market to decide without actual knowledge or information.
Mind you, I largely agree with letting the people a/k/a the market decide what to buy. Unlike the current regime, I believe that better decisions will result from accurate information about what they are buying.
May 16, 2007 at 10:40 am
I’m in complete agreement that we label everything accurately, in particular, I want to know which countries the ingredients are coming from so I can make informed choices at the supermarket.
That said, and considering that not all Americans have the motivation and time required to read fine print on every package they buy, I ALSO want certain deleterious substances banned–period–from my goddamned food, and I want a regulatory agency with enough budget and staff to inspect far more than the 1% of imports they look at now, as well enough authority to issue mandatory recalls (and thus prevent as many poisonings and health scares as possible) when nasty shite like E. coli or melamine-cyanuric acid is detected in something.
We need both–the labeling AND a beefed-up regulatory agency. As well as reform of our domestic food policies, about which lots more soon, right Stephen?
May 16, 2007 at 10:43 am
I have no doubt whatsoever that the FDA officials were told to go over to China, make some noise…Just more theatre to amuse the masses while the serious business of destroying lives to make a buck continues unhindered.
You betcha. I’d say that’s exactly what happened.
May 16, 2007 at 11:00 am
Great point, Ark. The same GOP that touts the wonderful marketplace as a better decision-maker than a centralized authority wants the market to decide without actual knowledge or information.
In this case the problem with an unfettered free market is that it’s value-free. That isn’t necessarily evil under many circumstances, but in these circumstances it means preventable deaths and sicknesses will occur and that violates other values we hold more strongly (unless maybe you’re talking about Ayn Rand fanatics or something).
May 16, 2007 at 11:13 am
congratulations.
May 16, 2007 at 11:14 am
I once again urge people to buy as much food as possible from local farms. I have now switched entirely to local produce and dairy (I am now a vegetarian, so meat isn’t an issue) and not only do I feel more secure about my food, it is tastier too, and costs less than buying comparable organic food at the grocery store.
A great resource for locating local food in your area (only covers the continental US)
http://www.localharvest.com
May 16, 2007 at 11:27 am
And don’t forget to buy just oodles of those shrimp fed on chicken shit. Yummiee
May 16, 2007 at 11:40 am
“Banned in China” would make a good t-shirt or something.
.
As for me, “Whole Paycheck” is calling.
May 16, 2007 at 12:44 pm
As well as reform of our domestic food policies, about which lots more soon, right Stephen?
You know it! Woot!
May 16, 2007 at 1:19 pm
congrats litbrit… you got to them. Stick with it.
May 16, 2007 at 2:00 pm
Great point, Ark. The same GOP that touts the wonderful marketplace as a better decision-maker than a centralized authority wants the market to decide without actual knowledge or information.
Without actual knowledge or information, I choose to grow my own or buy local, as they have proven they cannot be trusted, and have done nothing to change that.
May 16, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Buh… buh… buh… CHINA! They’re our friends! They’d never hurt us!
I want a “Banned in China” shirt. I’d wear it to a Wal-Mart just to watch the store manager crap his pants.
May 16, 2007 at 4:23 pm
What does someone have to do to get banned. I have proposed that we nuke China several times. Starting with when they were beating dogs to death in the street and then trying to poison ours. As if the wankers can’t be happy with killing the most loyal friend any of us will have if we are lucky enough to have a dog
May 16, 2007 at 4:30 pm
I am blocked there. I will use that as part of my platform when I run for office
May 16, 2007 at 6:06 pm
Me4President, Ooooh! Welcome to the Kewl Kids.
It’s you, me, Melissa, Stephen, Kos, LGF, Drudge, numerous porn sites, and the BBC. (And many, many others, as I’m sure you noticed.)
May 16, 2007 at 6:46 pm
So… how long until we get legislation requiring mandatory testing for all imported foods, medicines, and ingredients for the production of food or medicine?
Just until several thousand “unexplained” human deaths occur simultaneously, or in quick succession.
In this case the problem with an unfettered free market is that it’s value-free.
In fact, it is not value-free. Rather, it is an environment in which money, and the ability to acquire ever more amounts of this social fiction, trumps all other values in every circumstance and at all times.