Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Off With His Head



I recently wrote about the problem with the overburdened Food and Drug Administration and in particular about the worrisome tainted produce coming from China. In that article I pointed out the relative lethargy of the Chinese government.

Well, now they have acted. They are going to execute the country's top food inspector:

The former head of China's food and drug administration was sentenced to death Tuesday for taking bribes to approve substandard medicines - including an antibiotic blamed for at least 10 deaths.

Seeking to address broadening concerns over food, the government also announced plans for its first recall system for unsafe products.

The developments are among the most dramatic steps Beijing has publicly taken to address domestic and international alarm over shoddy and unsafe Chinese goods - from pet food ingredients and toothpaste mixed with industrial chemicals to tainted antibiotics.

...

According to the official magazine Outlook Weekly, a survey by the quality inspection administration found that a third of China's 450,000 food producers had no licenses, and 60 percent did not conduct safety tests or have the capability to do so.

Did you know that 80% of the ascorbic acid (a common preservative) comes from China?