China drops the ball on quality checks

Source:Agencies Published: 2013-8-5 21:38:01

After New Zealand dairy producer Fonterra announced that some of the whey protein concentrate it produced was contaminated with botulism-causing bacteria, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine found that four companies on the Chinese mainland had imported tainted whey powder for the production of baby formula or related beverages.

One can't help but wonder why Fonterra was the first to bring this issue to the public's attention. Why didn't importers or relevant quality and inspection watchdogs in China come forward to sound the alarm bell?

It's no surprise that food safety problems can occur with foreign milk powder products - such issues, after all, happen everywhere. This case throws a very unflattering light on China's still flawed quality inspection apparatus. Rather than simply going on alert against foreign milk powders, we should pay more attention to the carelessness of local importers and domestic quality and safety authorities. Loopholes obviously still exist in China's food and drug quality screening process.

The author is Deng Qingbo, a commentator.

Shanxi Evening News


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