Food safety in the People's Republic of China

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Food safety is a growing concern in Chinese agriculture. China's principal crops are rice, corn, wheat, soybeans, and cotton in addition to apples and other fruits and vegetables.[1] China's principal livestock products include pork, beef, dairy, and eggs.[2] The Chinese government oversees agricultural production as well as the manufacture of food packaging, containers, chemical additives, drug production, and business regulation. In recent years, the Chinese government attempted to consolidate food regulation with the creation of the State Food and Drug Administration of China in 2003, and officials have also been under increasing public and international pressure to solve food safety problems.

The growing unrest over food safety in China reached a climax in early 2007, shortly after circulation to the State Council of an Asian Development Bank policy note based on a technical assistance project in collaboration with the State Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization. The note and a subsequent report applauded increased efforts by the Chinese government but noted remaining gaps, calling in particular for urgent reforms to strengthen and streamline inter-agency coordination and enact an overarching "basic food law". The State Food and Drug Administration of China also published a survey in early 2007 where 65% of the respondents expressed concern about food safety. Shortly afterwards, Lu Jianzhong, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and China's Vice Premier, Wu Yi, issued statements of apology and promised to create a food safety monitoring system.[3]

China's food regulations are complex, its monitoring system can be unresponsive, and the government departments that oversee and enforce policies have overlapping and often ambiguous duties. There are around ten national government departments that share the responsibility to ensure food safety. There are also numerous provincial and local agencies that monitor local food production and sales. The food and drug laws themselves have been created "in an ad hoc way without the benefit of a basic food law," as Henk Bekedam of the World Health Organization told the Wall Street Journal (9 April 2007, B1).[4] The last major revision of the food and drug laws was made in 1995[5] when the Food Hygiene Law of the People's Republic of China established general food safety principles. Both the State Council and the departments under the State Council can issue regulations and directives concerning food.[6]

Changes in China's food production system are generating an awareness of food safety problems. China's agricultural system is composed mostly of small land-holding farmers[7] and subsistence agriculture. China, however, has less arable land than other nations and farmers intensively use fertilizer and pesticides to maintain high food production.[8] Food is sold in both open air markets and urban supermarkets, and by the late 1990s, China's farms were adapting to more specialized crop production as the local markets become more connected to the national and international markets. However, local authorities largely control food regulation enforcement[9] unless the central government steps in. As urban consumers' incomes increase, the demand for quality food goods, safer production, and processed foods also increases, and urban residents and supermarkets attract more national and media attention to food problems.[10]

On July 10, 2007, Zheng Xiaoyu, the former head of China's State Food And Drug Administration, was executed by shooting for taking bribes from various firms in exchange for state licenses related to product safety. [11]

Contents

[edit] Government departments

Approximately ten government departments and ministries under the State Council monitor food safety in China.[12] These include the Ministry of Health, the State Food and Drug Administration, the State Drug Administration, and the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the National Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety.

No single agency is responsible for all food safety regulations and enforcement in China, and the departments' duties often overlap.[13] There are also local and regional food safety agencies, but there is no clear hierarchy of agencies at the local or national levels. In response to complexity of numerous agencies monitoring and regulating food safety, the National People's Congress established the State Food and Drug Administration in 2003. The State Food and Drug Administration was supposed to oversee the all aspects of food safety regulations and unify food safety controls. However, the State Food and Drug Administration has not become the main governing department as the government had intended, and the other national agencies have continued to regulate and monitor food safety. This unclear division of duties has created conflict and confusion when citizens have sought to complain or a when major crisis needed to be resolved.

The National People's Congress (NPC)[14] is primarily responsible for implementing food safety laws. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and the State Council also regulate food safety issues.[15] The Food Hygiene Law of 1995, passed by the NPC, amended the 1982 Food Hygiene Law and regulates most aspects of food safety.[16]

[edit] Ministry of Health

Established in 1949, the Ministry of Health[17][18] encompasses general health policies, health law enforcement, children's and seniors' health policies, and diseases and emergencies. It provides experts to investigate poisoning cases, enforces food safety and hygiene inspections, and can order local health departments to conduct investigations into food quality violations. The Ministry of Health also oversees the Institute of Food Safety Control and Inspection, an agency that has studied and identified unsafe foods and has helped local health authorities form policies and training programs to combat unsafe food production and handling practices. The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health has called the Ministry of Health "the most important governing body of food safety."[19]

The general duties of the Ministry of Health are:[20]

I. To draft health laws, regulations and policies; to propose health development programs and strategic goals; to formulate technical protocols, health standards and to supervise their enforcement.
II. To propose regional health programs, to conduct overall planning and to coordinate the nationwide allocation of health resources.
III. To formulate working programs and policies on rural health, as well as maternal and child health care; to guide the implementation of primary health programs and technical protocols on maternal and child health care.
IV. To implement the policy of "Prevention First" and to conduct health education to the general public. To develop programs on the prevention and treatment of diseases that endanger the health of the population; to organize the comprehensive prevention and treatment of major diseases; to publicize the quarantine list of communicable diseases and the surveillance list of infectious diseases.
V. To guide the reform of medical institutions; to formulate criteria for medical practitioners, medical quality and service delivery, and to supervise their enforcement.
VI. To regulate by law blood collection at blood or plasma centers and the quality of blood for clinical transfusion.
VII. To draft key national development programs on medical science, technology and education; to organize key national medical and health researches; to guide the dissemination and application of medical achievements. To administer the affiliated institutions.
VIII. To supervise communicable disease prevention and treatment, food health, occupational, environmental, radiological, and school health. To formulate food and cosmetics quality control protocols and be responsible for their accreditation.
IX. To formulate national development programs on health professionals and professional ethics protocols for health personnel; to draft and implement staffing standards for health institutions and accreditation criteria for health personnel.
X. To organize and guide multi-lateral and bilateral governmental and non-governmental health and medical cooperation and exchanges and medical aid to other countries, to participate in major health events initiated by international organizations. To coordinate medical and health exchanges and collaborations between China and the World Health Organization and other international organizations.
XI. To implement the policy of developing both western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine.
XII. To do the routine work of the National Patriotic Health Campaign Committee.
XIII. To coordinate and dispatch technical health capacity nationwide, to assist local governments and relevant agencies in emergency response to major epidemics and diseases and in epidemic and disease prevention and control.
XIV. To undertake other work as designated by the State Council.

[edit] State Food and Drug Administration

The State Food and Drug Administration of China (SFDA) was founded in 2003 as part of China's efforts to improve food safety.[21] The SFDA is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the other health, food, and drug agencies. It is "directly under the State Council, which is in charge of comprehensive supervision on the safety management of food, health food and cosmetics and is the competent authority of drug regulation."[22] The SFDA encompasses ten departments that regulate and oversee different aspects of food and drug law. These include the General Office Department of Planning and Finance, the Department of Policy and Regulations, the Department of Food Safety Coordination, the Department of Food Safety Supervision, the Department of Drug Registration, the Department of Medical Devices, the Department of Drug Safety and Inspection, the Department of Drug Market Compliance, the Department of Personnel and Education, and the Department of International Cooperation.

The general duties of the SFDA are:[23]

I. To draft health laws, regulations and policies; to propose health development programs and strategic goals; to formulate technical protocols, health standards and to supervise their enforcement.
II. To propose regional health programs, to conduct overall planning and to coordinate the nationwide allocation of health resources.
III. To formulate working programs and policies on rural health, as well as maternal and child health care; to guide the implementation of primary health programs and technical protocols on maternal and child health care.
IV. To implement the policy of "Prevention First" and to conduct health education to the general public. To develop programs on the prevention and treatment of diseases that endanger the health of the population; to organize the comprehensive prevention and treatment of major diseases; to publicize the quarantine list of communicable diseases and the surveillance list of infectious diseases.
V. To guide the reform of medical institutions; to formulate criteria for medical practitioners, medical quality and service delivery, and to supervise their enforcement.
VI. To regulate by law blood collection at blood or plasma centers and the quality of blood for clinical transfusion.
VII. To draft key national development programs on medical science, technology and education; to organize key national medical and health researches; to guide the dissemination and application of medical achievements. To administer the affiliated institutions.
VIII. To supervise communicable disease prevention and treatment, food health, occupational, environmental, radiological, and school health. To formulate food and cosmetics quality control protocols and be responsible for their accreditation.
IX. To formulate national development programs on health professionals and professional ethics protocols for health personnel; to draft and implement staffing standards for health institutions and accreditation criteria for health personnel.
X. To organize and guide multi-lateral and bilateral governmental and non-governmental health and medical cooperation and exchanges and medical aid to other countries, to participate in major health events initiated by international organizations. To coordinate medical and health exchanges and collaborations between China and the World Health Organization and other international organizations.
XI. To implement the policy of developing both western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine.
XII. To do the routine work of the National Patriotic Health Campaign Committee.
XIII. To coordinate and dispatch technical health capacity nationwide, to assist local governments and relevant agencies in emergency response to major epidemics and diseases and in epidemic and disease prevention and control.
XIV. To undertake other work as designated by the State Council.

[edit] State Drug Administration

The State Drug Administration (SDA) was established in 1998. The SDA was intended to consolidate the agencies that had previously managed drug policy, the State Pharmaceutical Administration of China (SPAC) and the the Bureau of Drug Policy Administration (BDPA). The SDA operates alongside the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM), an agency that oversees traditional medicines.[24] In 2003, the SDA was merged with the State Food and Drug Administration.[25]

[edit] Ministry of Agriculture

The Ministry of Agriculture handles farm-level food safety regulations and policies.[26] One of its most important duties is to regulate and enforce the use of chemicals, pollutants, and pesticides on farms.[27][28] The Institute for the Control of Agrochemicals (CAMA) is responsible for pesticide testing, research, and use regulations, and operates under the Ministry of Agriculture.[29] The Ministry of Agriculture is also responsible for animal health, and has handled the bird flu (avian influenza) outbreaks and[30] the mad cow disease prevention measures.[31] The Ministry of Agriculture works with local governments, operates disease research laboratories, and administers vaccinations and emergency response measures.[32]
.

[edit] Ministry of Commerce

The Ministry of Commerce handles the regulations governing food trade, foreign investments, food distribution, and domestic and international market activities.[33]

[edit] The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine (GAQSIQ) oversees food imports and exports and quarantines at the national and local levels.[34] It functions as a law enforcement agency. There are 19 departments under the GAQSIQ, and the ones that handle food safety issue are the Department of Supervision on Animal and Plant Quarantine, the Bureau of Import and Export Food Safety, and the Department of Supervision of Food Production.[35] The GAQSIQ was made a Ministry in 2001.[36]

[edit] The State Administration for Industry and Commerce

The State Administration of Industry and Commerce (SAIC) regulates market activity and is directly under the State Council.[37] Under the SAIC, the Consumer Protection Bureau enforces standards for market products and investigates fake products, the Enterprise Registration Bureau issues business licenses, the Department of Personnel and Education oversees local SAIC departments, and the Department of Advertising Regulation works against fake or misleading advertising.[38]

The Mission the of SAIC is as follows:[39]

1. Draft and promulgate guidelines, policies, laws, rules and regulations concerning administration for industry and commerce.
2. Handle and administer the registration of all kinds of enterprises (including foreign-invested enterprises), organizations or individuals that are engaged in business activities as well as resident representative offices of foreign companies; examine and ratify the registration of business names; review, approve and issue business licenses and carry out regulation thereof.
3. Supervise market competition, investigate into illegal trade practices including monopoly, unfair competition, smuggling, selling of smuggled goods, pyramid selling and disguised pyramid selling and mete out corresponding penalties according to law.
4. Regulate market transactions, supervise the quality of marketed goods; investigate and penalize illegal acts such as distribution of fake and/or substandard goods, so as to protect the legitimate rights and interests of both businesses and consumers.
5.Carry out standard supervision and administration in accordance with law to ensure healthy order of business operation in various markets.
6. Regulate the operation of brokers and brokerage agencies.
7. Regulate contract performance, auctions and registration of chattel mortgage; investigate and penalize illegal practices such as contract frauds.
8. Regulate advertising activities, investigate and penalize illegal practices.
9. Take charge of trademark registration and administration, protect exclusive right of trademark, investigate and penalize trademark infringements and reinforce recognition and protection of well-known trademarks.
10. Regulate the self-employed, private partnerships and private enterprises.
11. Lead and guide local administrative authorities for industry and commerce nationwide.
12. Carry out international cooperation and exchanges in areas related to the functions of SAIC.

[edit] Ministry of Science and Technology

The Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) investigates technological innovation to improve food production, manufacturing, and processing. The MST regulates the quality of market products, oversees the inspection of market products, and punishes sellers who violate product quality standards. The MST also regulates product packaging and can confiscate or destroy illegal products or product ingredients.[40]

[edit] National Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety

The National Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety (NINFS) is a research agency for nutrition and food hygiene.[41] It is affiliated with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Chinese Academy of Preventative Medicine.[42] The NINFS's mission is to nutrition and food hygiene, prevent food-borne diseases, and improve nutrition and fitness.

[edit] Food safety regulations

Further information: Guobiao

On October 2007, China approved new legislation aimed at improving and monitoring national standards in food production. New laws will standardize food production and clamp down on illegal activity in the industry. The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine drafted the new regulations covering the production, processing and sale of food. They will create national standards and replace the existing patchwork of rules which are overseen by several government agencies.[43]

[edit] Food safety incidents

Many food safety incidents have been widely publicized as the causes of the 2007 outcries. These incidents began as early as 2004 and reached a climax in 2007. These incidents are meant to be illustrative of the overlapping duties of food safety agencies in China.

[edit] 2004 food safety incidents

[edit] Counterfeit baby formula

In April 2004, at least 13 babies in Fuyang, Anhui and 50-60 more in the rural areas of the Anhui province died of malnourishment from ingesting fake milk powder. 100-200 other babies in Anhui Province suffered malnutrition but survived. Local officials in Fuyang arrested 47 people who were responsible for making and selling the fake formula and investigators discovered 45 types of substandard formula for sale in Fuyang markets. Over 141 factories were responsible for the production of the formula and Chinese officials seized 2,540 bags of fake formula by mid-April. The State Food and Drug Administration ordered an investigation in May, 2004.

The babies suffered from "big head disease" according to Chinese doctors. Within three days of ingesting the formula, the babies' heads swelled while their bodies became thinner from malnourishment. The fake formulas were tested to have only 1-6% protein when the national requirement was 10% protein. The government promised to compensate families and help cover medical bills. Most of the victims were rural families.[44][45][46]

[edit] Contaminated Longkou noodles

Main article: Cellophane noodles#Health concerns

In 2004, testing by Chinese authorities determined that some brands of cellophane noodles produced in Yantai, Shandong were contaminated with lead. It emerged that several unscrupulous companies had been making their noodles from cornstarch instead of mung beans in order to save costs, and, to make the cornstarch transparent, were adding lead-based whiteners to their noodles.[15] In December 2006, Beijing authorities again inspected cellophane noodles produced by the Yantai Deshengda Longkou Vermicelli Co. Ltd.[16] in Siduitou village, Zhangxing town, Zhaoyuan city, Yantai, this time determining that sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate, a toxic and possibly carcinogenic industrial bleach which is an illegal food additive in China, had been used in the production of the noodles. The company, which formerly sold its noodles both in China as well as overseas, was ordered to cease production and distribution.[17][18][19][20] The company's website has since been shut down.

[edit] Adulterated pickled vegetables

In June 2004, the Chengdu Quality Inspection Department released figures that only about 23% of all pickled vegetables produced in Chengdu had an acceptable amount of chemical additives. The labels on the pickled vegetables that was supposed to indicate the chemical content were also found to be inaccurate. In Sichuan, the factories had been using industrial-grade salt to pickle the vegetables and had been spraying pesticides containing high amounts of DDVP on the pickled vegetables before shipment.[47]

[edit] Counterfeit alcoholic drinks

In Spring 2004, four men died of alcohol poisoning in Guangdong Province and eight other men were hospitalized in the People's Hospital of Guangzhou. Wang Funian and Hou Shangjian, both from Taihe Town, died in May after drinking liquor bought from the same vendor. Two other men, one a migrant worker, died the previous night in Zhongluotan in Hunan Province. Authorities in the local health department suspected that the makers of the fake liquor blended industrial alcohol and rice wine, and closed several unlicensed liquor manufacturers.[48]

[edit] Soy sauce made from human hair

Main article: Soy sauce#Chinese soy sauce

Stories began circulating in the press about cheap soy sauces made from human hair. These sauces were manufactured in China using a chemical amino acid extraction process and then quietly exported to other countries. An investigative report that aired on Chinese television exposed the unsanitary and potentially contaminated sources of the hair:

"When asking how the amino acid syrup (or powder) was generated, the manufacturer replied that the powder was generated from human hair. Because the human hair was gathered from salon, barbershop and hospitals around the country, it was unhygienic and mixed with condom, used hospital cottons, used menstrual cycle pad, used syringe, etc."

In response, the Chinese government banned production of soy sauces made from hair.[21]

[edit] 2005 food safety incidents

[edit] Sudan I Red Dye

In 1996, China banned food manufacturers from using Sudan I red dye to color their products. China followed a number of other developed nations in banning the dye due to its links to cancer and other negative health effects. However, officials in the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the State Bureau of Industry and Commerce, and the State Food and Drug Administration discovered in 2005 that Sudan I was being used in food in many major Chinese cities. In Beijing, the Heinz Company added the red dye to chili sauce; in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Hunan, and Fuzhou provinces, the red dye was discovered in vegetables and noodles. Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) used the red dye in its 1,200 restaurants, and medicine in Shanghai also contained Sudan I.

Companies in China had been using Sudan I illegally for years before 2005, and government officials gave two reasons why the 1996 ban had not been adequately enforced. The first reason was that there were too many agencies overseeing food production, creating loopholes and inefficiency. The second reason was that the government agencies were not equipped or trained with the food testing equipment that could have detected the dye earlier. Officials announced that they would begin to reform the food safety system on national and local levels.[49]

[edit] 2006 Food Safety Incidents

[edit] Counterfeit drugs

The State Food and Drug Administration reported that their officials had resolved 14 cases involving fake drugs and 17 cases involving "health accidents" at drug manufacturing facilities.[50] One of these incidents involved fake Armillarisni A; ten people injected with the fake drug died in May, 2006.[51][52] The drug quality inspectors at the factory that produced the Armillarisni A drugs failed to notice that the chemical diglycol had been added to to drugs. In July, 2006, six people died and 80 more became sick after ingesting an antibiotic with disinfectant as an ingredient.[53] In 2006, the government also "revoked the business licenses of 160 drug manufacturers and retailers."[54]

[edit] School food poisoning

On September 1, 2006, more than 300 students at Chongzhou City Experimental Primary School in China's Sichuan Province got food poisoning after lunch. Of those, approximately 200 students had to be hospitalized due to headaches, fevers, vomiting, and diarrhea. The school was temporarily closed for an investigation.[55] On the same day, middle school students in China's Liaoning Province also got food poisoning after eating dinner at school. The Ministry of Education ordered an investigation, and officials suspected that the cause of the food poisoning was unsanitary conditions at the schools. During summer vacation, the schools had not been cleaned or disinfected, and the pupils might have been exposed to unsanitary food or drinking water when they returned in September.[56]

[edit] Contaminated turbot fish

In late 2006, officials in Shanghai and Beijing discovered illegal amounts of chemicals in turbot fish. As the Epoch Times explained, "China started importing turbot from Europe in 1992. Currently, China's annual output is 40,000 tons. Since turbot have weak immune systems, some farmers use prohibited drugs to maintain their productivity, as their fish-farming technologies are not sufficient to prevent disease."[57] Shanghai officials from the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration found carcinogenic nitrofuran metabolites in the fish and Beijing found additional drugs, including malachite green, in its fish. Other cities, including Hangzhou, have begun testing turbot fish and banning the turbot fish shipped from Shandong Province. Many restaurants in Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong stopped purchasing turbot fish after officials discovered the high amounts of illegal antibiotics.[58]

[edit] Pesticide residue on vegetables

In early 2006, Greenpeace tested vegetables in two Hong Kong grocery stores, Parknshop and Wellcome, and discovered that over 70% of their samples were covered in pesticide residue. Thirty percent of their vegetable samples exceeded safe levels of pesticides and several tested positive for illegal pesticides, such as DDT, HCH and Lindane. Greenpeace explained that nearly 80% of vegetables in these grocery stores originated from mainland China. John Chapple, manager of Sinoanalytica, a Qingdao-based food analysis laboratory, supplemented Greenpeace's information. He was not surprised by the findings and explained that farmers in China have little knowledge of correct pesticide use.[59]
Although many Chinese farms are converting to organic agriculture, pesticide use in many areas remains high.[60]

[edit] Infected snail meat

In June, July, and August 2006, the Shuguo Yanyi Restaurant in Beijing served raw Amazonian snail meat and, as a result, 70 diners were diagnosed with angiostrongylus meningitis. The snail meat contained angiostrongylus cantonesis, "a parasite that harms people's nervous system" causing headaches, vomiting, stiff necks, and fevers.[61] No one died from the meningitis outbreak and the Beijing Municipal Office of Health inspection did not find any more raw snails in 2,000 other restaurants. However, the Beijing Municipal Office of Health prohibited restaurants from serving raw or half-cooked snails and disciplined the Shuguo Yanyi Restaurant. The Beijing Friendship Hospital, where the first meningitis case was treated, began a program to educate doctors on the treatment of angiostrongylus meningitis. The Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention explained that these meningitis cases were the first outbreaks since the 1980s.[62]

[edit] Poisonous mushrooms

In December 2006, sixteen diners were hospitalized after eating a poisonous variety of boletus mushrooms in Beijing at the Dayali Roast Duck Restaurant. The mushrooms caused nausea, vomiting, and dizziness and the ill diners were treated at the Bo'ai Hospital and the 307 Hospital of the People's Liberation Army.[63]

In November 2006, Chinese authorities at the Ministry of Health had warned of the rising number of mushroom poisonings. "From July to September, 31 people were killed and 183 were poisoned by toxic mushrooms."[64] Officials worried that the public could not accurately separate edible mushrooms from poisonous ones.

[edit] 2007 food safety incidents

[edit] Counterfeit drugs

According to John Newton of Interpol, Chinese organized crime is involved in working across national boundaries and faking drugs on an industrial scale, now appearing throughout Africa. [65] China Central Television cited an official saying those making the false albumin were making a 300% profit, assisted by shortages of the genuine product.[66]

[edit] Potential carcinogen used in frying oil

In March 2007, the Guangzhou Information Times accused Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) of adding oil filtering powder, magnesium trisilicate, to its frying oil. It reported that KFC restaurants in several cities in the northwest Shaanxi Province used this chemical so that the frying oil could be used repeatedly for up to ten days. KFC argued that the additive was safe by United States and international standards, but health officials in Xianyang, Yulin, and Xi'an, all cities in the Shaanxi Province, inspected their local KFCs and confiscated the frying powder. Gaungzhou city officials also began in investigation into the frying oils, and the cities requested that the Ministry of Health step in.[67][68] KFC claimed that the oil filtering powder had not caused health problems and met local and international standards, but local Chinese authorities claimed that reusing the powder decreased its nutritional value and was connected to cancer.

[edit] Contaminated wheat gluten and rice protein used for export

In May 2007, The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine (AQSIQ) confirmed that two domestic companies had exported melamine-contaminated wheat gluten and rice protein blamed for the deaths of dogs and cats in the United States.[69] In August 2007, AQSIQ introduced recall systems for unsafe food products and toys amid efforts to improve product safety, in response to several recent food safety incidents, including: "scares rang[ing] from ducks and hens that were fed cancer-causing Sudan Red dye to make their egg yolks red, to pet food made of melamine-tainted wheat protein that killed scores of dogs and cats in the United States." [70] On December 3, 2007, China ordered 69 categories of products to be bar-coded at factories in its latest effort to improve product safety in resonse to incidents included parasite-infested snails, ducks and hens that were fed cancer-causing Sudan Red dye to make their egg yolks red and pet food containing melamine-tainted wheat protein that killed scores of dogs and cats in the United States.[71] See also 2007 pet food crisis.

[edit] 2008 food safety incidents

[edit] Tainted Chinese dumpling

In January 2008, several Japanese people fell ill after consuming Chinese-produced jiaozi (pork dumplings) tainted with the insecticide methamidophos. The dumplings had been produced by the Tianyang Food Plant in Hebei Province.[72][73] [74] [75] [76] [77] Kyodo News reported that about 500 people complained of agonies.[78]

Investigations jointly held by both the Chinese and Japanese governments cleared the Chinese company of responsibility after finding no traces of any poison in the raw material used nor in the factory. [79] [80] Officials are now treating this incident as a deliberate poisoning, and the appropriate investigation is underway.[81] On the other hand, this incident is not looked upon importance in China.[82]

On February 28, the Ministry of Public Security of China (MPS) criminal investigation bureau announced there was little chance that methamidophos had been put into dumplings in China, and declared the Japanese police rejected the requirement by the MPS to check the scene, relative material evidences and test reports, thus information on the evidence was not fully provided to the MPS.[83]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ USDA. "China - Key Statistics" and "China - Key Statistics". 2005.
  2. ^ USDA. "China - Key Statistics"
  3. ^ China Digital Times apologies for food safety in china
  4. ^ Zamiska, Nicholas. "Who's Monitoring Chinese Food Exports?" Wall Street Journal. April 9, 2007. Pg. B1.
  5. ^ China Laws and Regulations of Food, Drug, and Cosmetics. "Food Hygiene Law of the People's Republic of China."
  6. ^ China Laws and Regulations of Food, Drug, and Cosmetics. "Regulations and Directives on Food"
  7. ^ Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. "East Asia"
  8. ^ Gale, Fred. "China at a Glance: A Statistical Overview of China's Food and Agriculture." April 2002. Agricultural Information Bulletin No. AIB775
  9. ^ Gale, Fred. "Regions in China: One Market or Many?." April 2002. Agricultural Information Bulletin No. AIB775
  10. ^ Gale, Fred. "Chinese Household Food Spending and Income." January, 2007. Economic Research Report ERR-32
  11. ^ China food safety head executed [1]
  12. ^ Wei, Liu. "Safe Food For All Should Be the Recipe." March 15, 2007. [2]
  13. ^ Wei, Liu. "Safe Food For All Should Be the Recipe." March 15, 2007. [3]
  14. ^ "Highlights of NPC Standing Committee's Work Report" National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China. March 11, 2007. [4]
  15. ^ China Laws and Regulations of Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics. [5]
  16. ^ Yongmin, Bian. "The Challenges for Food Safety in China: Current legislation is unable to protect consumers from the consequences of unscrupulous food production." French Centre for Research on Contemporary China. May-June, 2004. [6]
  17. ^ Chinese webpage [7]
  18. ^ English webpage [8]
  19. ^ "Fast Track to China." Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. February 2, 2007. [9]
  20. ^ Ministry of Health. English Website. [10]
  21. ^ "Fast Track to China." Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. February 2, 2007
  22. ^ "About SFDA." State Food and Drug Administration. [11]
  23. ^ State Food and Drug Administration. [12]
  24. ^ Gross, Ames. "Regulatory Trends in China's Pharmaceutical Market." Pacific Bridge Medical. 1998. Pacific Bridge Medical
  25. ^ "Relevant Terminology." China Laws and Regulations of Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics. China FDC
  26. ^ Ministry of Agriculture. Chinese web page
  27. ^ Ministry of Agriculture. Chinese language page. Ministry of Agriculture
  28. ^ Calvin, Linda, Fred Gale, Dinghuan Hu, and Bryan Lohmar. "Food Safety Improvements Underway in China." Amber Waves. USDA. 2006. Amber Waves, USDA
  29. ^ China Pesticide Information Network. Institute for the Control of Agrochemicals. CAMA
  30. ^ "WHO Slams Chinese Ministry of Health for Not Sharing Bird Flu Info, Viruses." The Canadian Press. November 1, 2006. Canadian Press
  31. ^ "China Free of Mad Cow Disease, Ministry of Agriculture." People's Daily. June 18, 2002. People's Daily
  32. ^ Youling, Jia. Speech. November 10, 2006. Speech
  33. ^ Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China.
  34. ^ Simcom: International Regulatory Compliance. Simcom
  35. ^ "Standards Organizations and Related Bodies." StandardsPortal.org. 2006. Standards Portal
  36. ^ "Chinese Premier on Quality, Supervision, Quarantine." People's Daily. July 16, 2001. People's Daily
  37. ^ State Administration of Industry and Commerce
  38. ^ State Administration of Industry and Commerce: Departments. 2006. SAIC
  39. ^ "State Administration of Industry and Commerce: Mission." 2006. SAIC
  40. ^ Ministry of Science and Technology: Product Quality Law. 2000. MST
  41. ^ "China." UNC School of Public Health. 2007. UNC
  42. ^ "National Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety." Carolina Population Center. 2004. CPC
  43. ^ WHO chief praises China's efforts on food safety AFP
  44. ^ "47 Detained for Selling Baby-Killer Milk." China Daily. May 5, 2004. China Daily News
  45. ^ "China Fake Milk Scandal Deepens." BBC News. April 22, 2004. BBC News
  46. ^ "Milk Powder Kills Babies, Premier Orders Investigation." People's Daily. June 25, 2004. People's Daily News
  47. ^ Zhou, Qing. "China's Food Fears, Part 1." China Dialogue. September 14, 2006. China Dialogue
  48. ^ "Guangdong launches inspection on bulk liquor following four toxic alcohol deaths." People's Daily Online, Xinhua. May 16, 2004. People's Daily News
  49. ^ Yan, Hu. "Red Dye a 'Food for Thought' for Chinese." People's Daily. March, 31, 2005. People's Daily News
  50. ^ "China to Tighten Drug Safety Checks." China Daily. February 27, 2007. Xinhua
  51. ^ "Death Toll Over Fake Drug Rises to 9." Xinhua. May 22, 2005. Xinhua
  52. ^ "Death Toll in Fake Drug Cases Rises to Ten." Xinhua. June 3, 2006. Xinhua
  53. ^ Barboza, David. "China Orders Investigation into Drug Industry." BBC News. February 9, 2007. BBC News
  54. ^ Barboza, David. "China Orders Investigation into Drug Industry." BBC News. February 9, 2007. BBC News
  55. ^ "200 remain hospitalized for food poisoning in southwest China" Food Poison Blog. September 5, 2006. Food Poison Blog
  56. ^ "China's schools urged to improve sanitation after food poisoning cases" People's Daily. Xinhua. September 7, 2006. People's Daily
  57. ^ "Carcinogenic Turbot Fish Affects China's Market" The Epoch Times. December 2, 2006. Epcoh Times
  58. ^ "Shandong Turbot farmers in crisis following sales slump" The Fish Site. December 22, 2006. The Fish Site News
  59. ^ Patton, Dominique. "Pesticide residues still high in Chinese vegetables." AP-FoodTechnology.com. April 25, 2006. AP
  60. ^ PANNA: Sea of Pesticides Surrounds China's Organic Farms | Pesticide Action Network North America
  61. ^ Xiaofeng, Guan. "70 diners sick after eating raw snails." China Daily. China Daily
  62. ^ "Snail meningitis patients to claim for group compensation." People's Daily. August 22, 2006. [13]
  63. ^ "Sixteen Diners Fall Sick After Eating Mushrooms in Beijing." China.org.cn, Xinhua. December 29, 2006. China.org.cn
  64. ^ "Health Ministry Warns of Household Dining Safety." ChinaGate.com.cn. Xinhua. November 9, 2006. ChinaGate.com.cn
  65. ^ "Chinese Gangs Behind Fake Drugs". BBC News (June 4, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-06-19.
  66. ^ "Chinese Hospitals Used Fake Drips". BBC News (June 11, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-06-19.
  67. ^ "KFC food safety scares the public again." China Daily. March 9, 2007. China Daily
  68. ^ "KFC Responds To Health Department Warning In China." China Franchiser. March 13, 2007. [14]
  69. ^ Gao, Ying. "China names and shames companies for exporting substandard food products", Xinhua, July 10, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-02. 
  70. ^ Yao, Siyan. "China unveils recall systems for unsafe food, toys", Xinhua, August 31, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-02. 
  71. ^ Sun, Yunlong. "China orders bar codes for safety monitoring of 69 product categories", Xinhua, December 4, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-10. 
  72. ^ "10 sick after eating tainted 'gyoza' from China", Japan Times, January 31, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  73. ^ "10 fall ill after eating frozen 'gyoza' made in China", Asahi Shimbun, January 31, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  74. ^ "10 fall ill after eating Chinese-made dumplings containing insecticide", Mainichi Shimbun, January 31, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  75. ^ "62 more victims uncovered in poisoned dumpling case", Mainichi Shimbun, January 31, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  76. ^ "China-made dumplings sicken 10", Yomiuri Shimbun, January 31, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  77. ^ "China dumplings spark food scare in Japan", Reuters, January 31, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  78. ^ "Tokyo warns Beijing after toxic food scare", The Age, 2008-02-01. Retrieved on 2008-03-09. 
  79. ^ "Japan: China dumpling poisoning may be deliberate", Reuters, Feb 5, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-02-08. 
  80. ^ "Factory not at fault in Dumpling Poisoning?", To The Center, Feb 5, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-02-08. 
  81. ^ "Factory not at fault in Dumpling Poisoning?", Japan News Review, Feb 5, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-02-08. 
  82. ^ "A responsible path to ending dumpling issue", China Daily, 2008-02-25. Retrieved on 2008-02-26. 
  83. ^ "State watchdogs: dumpling poisoning is case of sabotage", China View, 2008-02-28. Retrieved on 2008-02-29. 
v • d • e
Health in the People's Republic of China
Healthcare
Diseases
Government
Other issues
Studies
v • d • e
Food safety in Asia

Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan1 · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Burma (Myanmar) · Cambodia · China · Cyprus · East Timor1 · Egypt1 · Georgia1 · Hong Kong · India · Indonesia1 · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan1 · Korea (North Korea · South Korea) · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Macau · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Nepal · Northern Cyprus2 · Oman · Pakistan · People's Republic of China · Palestinian territories3 · Philippines · Qatar · Republic of China · Russia1 · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Syria · Taiwan · Tajikistan · Thailand · Turkey1 · Turkmenistan · United Arab Emirates · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen1
1 Transcontinental country.  2 Only recognised by Turkey.  3 Not fully independent.
Languages