China, hazardous to health one out of five times

Made in China now equals substandard, tainted, and sometimes poison, and those are the terms applying to products sold inside China to it own citizens and to other countries. Concern over products like Chinese toothpaste using a potentially toxic chemical found in antifreeze, has prompted some changes. "A set of “strict certification and evaluation procedures” are being drawn up for oral care products by China’s Health Ministry and the China Certification and Accreditation Administration..."

China said on Wednesday that nearly a fifth of the food and consumer products that it checked in a nationwide survey this year were found to be substandard or tainted, underscoring the risk faced by its own consumers even as the country’s exports come under greater scrutiny overseas. (NYT)

Concerns about Chinese products began with the deaths of dogs and cats from food tainted with wheat gluten tainted with the chemical melamine; toxic toys; defective tires; agricultural tools; clothing; fruit and fruit juices; and contaminated seafood. U.S. authorities have now banned or turned away some Chinese products, "including toxic fish, juice containing unsafe color additives."

The certification administration’s Web site said the new rules would “improve the quality, safety and hygiene of oral health care products.” It was unclear how the rules would treat diethylene glycol.

Also Wednesday, China’s Ministry of Health announced a recall of two brands of diapers spot checks found to contain excessive fungus. Authorities did not say if the diapers, made in the northern province of Hebei, and in Fujian province in the south, and sold under the brand names Haobeir and Jinglianbangshuang, had been exported or if they had caused problems for any children. (AUDRA ANG, AP via Peace and Freedom)

And then there's this:

During the last month, regulators and quality inspectors say they have discovered candied fruit with 63 times the permitted amount of sweetener; excessive additives and preservatives in nearly 40 percent of the children’s snacks surveyed in western Guangxi province; fake human blood protein at hospitals; and food tainted with formaldehyde, illegal dyes and industrial wax. (NYT)

For legal views on China, visit the China Law Blog, "Made In China: Sued In The USA"

Comments

[Angel]

Gives a whole new meaning to Made in China eh!!!

[tom carsley]

I've been talking about China for years, no one wants to believe it, now, it is happening. Thanks goes out to all the greedy US companies looking for cheap products and cutting US labor and production. Greed is to blame here, not just China, what did anyone expect??!!?? Thank you Wal-Mart, and to all the other money driven traitors, better to poison people and make a buck than to be patriots and care about the welfare of your nation!!! ---Tom