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Posted on 02/21/2008 3:38:12 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
China "regrets" U.S. decision on food supplies
By Lindsay Beck
Thu Feb 21, 2:03 AM ET
China expressed regret on Thursday at reports the U.S. Olympic team would bring its own meat for the Beijing Games over concerns of drugs tainted food, and said it could guarantee safe supplies.
The New York Times has reported that the U.S. Olympic Committee has arranged with sponsors to ship 25,000 pounds of lean protein to Beijing for the Games, in response to concerns about the potential impact of veterinary drugs and insecticides on athletes.
"I personally feel rather regretful," Kang Yi, head of the Catering Division at the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, told a news conference.
Chinese organizers have made efforts to ensure that athletes could dine together, but "if the U.S. delegation is not at these gatherings, I think that's a pity," Kang said.
Beijing had received no formal notification from the U.S. team regarding its plans, she added.
China has been at pains to reassure on food safety ahead of the Games, after a series of health scares drew attention to lax oversight and a willingness among manufacturers to flout standards with a view to maximizing profits.
Meat supplies in particular have come under scrutiny over fears that antibiotics and growth stimulants commonly used by breeders to boost yields could cause positive doping tests.
Officials said there was no evidence that that was the case.
"At present, globally, there have been no scientific reports that show drug tests will yield positive results after athletes or people eat certain types of meat," said Lu Yong, director of the Beijing Municipal Food Safety Monitoring Centre.
"China has very strict rules. Forbidden drugs cannot be used in breeding, so we can guarantee safety," he said.
China bans drugs like clenbuterol, a steroid that boosts animal muscle mass, in feed, though experts say it is still commonly used by Chinese producers.
But officials say they have developed an extensive monitoring and supervision system over the entire supply chain feeding Beijing, from breeders to slaughterhouses to distribution trucks, to ensure that food for the Games is up to par.
"With monitoring, the food safety system has become much more targeted and proactive," said Tang Yunhua, spokeswoman for the Beijing Municipal Office for Food Safety.
"Only when the food is in line with our strict standards can it enter the market."
Any food that the U.S. or other teams may wish to bring to China for their athletes would have to meet import standards.
"As for whether you can bring your own food to China, we also have strict rules," Tang said. "You have to comply with relevant rules and regulations."
(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)
Cheap shot.
Ping!
China, always punative. What if they held an Olympics and no one came?
China “regrets” losing opportunity to make our athletes sick.
Hey China...........get civilized and quick.
China “regrets” losing opportunity to make our athletes sick.More likely either make them perform poorly....or fail drug tests.
Supplies could be brought over in the "diplomatic bag", if I'm not mistaken.
-Eric
“What if they held an Olympics and no one came?”
My thoughts exactly. It’s not as if the World would end if there weren’t an Olympics.
China is too risky and although controlled, they are out of control.
We check every label, and adhere to the old tried and true...”if in doubt, don’t”.
They can always call out for Chinese if they want to. Try the steamed cardboard buns. They’re to die for! /s
It’s not unprecedented.
Notice that’s for bringing food into China. Exporting food from China has no similar restrictions apparently.
Meanwhile, in Beijing during the Olympics:
"An Orc stooped over him, and flung him some bread and a strip of raw dried flesh. He ate the stale grey bread hungrily, but not the meat. He was famished but not yet so famished as to eat flesh flung to him by an Orc, the flesh of he dared not guess what creature."
Cheers!
I don’t believe a word they say. Rather than throw missiles at us, they’re trying to harm us from the inside out...
(/frustration off)
Its not worth it, we should offer another sporting event here in the US for nations that decide to boycott.
Sorry for double ping.
ya, our food is tainted, but we’ll show you!
We’ll see what we can “discover” in YOUR food!
(and not spend the resources to fix our problem)
Call me paranoid (’cause I don’t care if you do or not!)...
I don’t even trust that the watches from China don’t contain some cancer-causing agent absorbed through the skin.
As for anything that touches food (pans, plates, utensils, etc.)...NEVER!!
Food? HA!
(OK, go ahead...)
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