"Made in China" label battered by product scandals

Reuters ^ | 12/08/08 | Ben Blanchard

[TigerLikesRooster]

"Made in China" label battered by product scandals

By Ben Blanchard Mon Dec 8, 8:18 am ET

BEIJING (Reuters) – Milk, toothpaste, cough syrup, pet food, eels, blood thinner, car parts, pork, eggs, honey, chicken, dumplings, cooking oil and rice -- if you can fake it or taint it, you can almost guarantee it's happened in China.

A string of product safety scandals, including contaminated infant formula that is believed to have killed six babies and sickened thousands of others, have rocked the faith of shoppers, making them wary of buying products made in China despite the often cheaper price tag.

"I was physically disgusted when I saw it on the TV," said Sally Villegas, a mother of two in Australia, referring to the melamine-tainted infant formula scandal that came to light in September.

"If I'm shopping and I pick up a product made in China, yes I would put it back."

The melamine scandal was the latest in a string of recent high-profile safety problems that included lead paint on toy cars and contaminated Chinese-made blood thinner heparin which was blamed for fatalities in the United States and Germany and prompted a global recall early this year.

After each scandal, Beijing seemed to have the same response: launching a crackdown, destroying tainted goods on television, jailing a few officials and saying they "pay great attention" to the problem.

Trouble is, for all the government's efforts and exhortations, the scandals keep happening, and will likely keep on happening, due to lax rule enforcement, fragmented industries, widespread poverty and the sheer size of China, analysts say.

[TigerLikesRooster]

China's product safety problem is a systemic problem. As long as China can get away with it, there is little motivation for them to do anything about it. China tends to dismiss and even bully itself out of this problem, while offering some cosmetic publicity events.

Only the huge direct loss from this problem can force change. Too much interlocking interests are getting in the way.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[KarlInOhio]

How can you tell if a food product has ingredients made in China? The "made in" label will tell where the final assembly is done, but it won't tell if the flour or vitamins or other ingredients are from China.

[doc1019]

I remember when “Made in China” was a laugh, something you only bought if you couldn’t afford better. Then there was a period when buying Chinese was ok, now, hopefully, we know better.

[diverteach]

Doesn’t seem to be bothering Wal-Mart’s sales. One of the few retail stocks still rising.

[TigerLikesRooster]

It is possible that either they changed suppliers. Or relabeled their products’ origin.:-)

[Barnacle]

Milk, toothpaste, cough syrup, pet food, eels, blood thinner, car parts, pork, eggs, honey, chicken, dumplings, cooking oil and rice -- if you can fake it or taint it, you can almost guarantee it's happened in China.

Come on folks, would you knowingly put something in your mouth that came from China?

[TigerLikesRooster]

Correction: bully itself its way

[FormerACLUmember]

No one mentions the real problem: Communism is totally corrupt and evil; an abomination on humanity and human history.

A freely elected and accountable Chinese government would never permit the poisoning of its own people, or the exporting of such poisons.

[TheConservativeParty]

Look at the labels on canned mushrooms. It was recently brought to my attention that many American canning companies get their canned mushrooms from China. Sure enough when I looked in my cupboard, they were from China or Indonesia. I have looked in 3 different grocery chains and none of the canned mushrooms were made in the USA. Looks like fresh is the only way to go.

[M. Espinola]

Those labels should read “Made in Red China”.

[blam]

"I remember when “Made in China” was a laugh, something you only bought if you couldn’t afford better. "

I remember the same about products from Japan...everything was junk.

[JACKRUSSELL]

A ping list dedicated to exposing the quality, safety and security issues of anything “Made in China”.


Please FReepmail me if you would like to be on or off of the list.

(This can be a high volume ping list.)

[Dustbunny]

China is a Communist country, communists lie.

I bought a package of chopped dates for quick bread. I tasted them before using them, they were awful, did not even taste like dates. Not a China product, they came from Pakistan. Threw them out.

[Ditter]

I don’t buy Made In China.

[Dustbunny]

Approximately 5 years ago I purchased a can of mushrooms for a pizza. It was a brand I had always bought. Had to throw out the pizza and what we did eat made us both sick. After digging the can out of the garbage I discovered they were a product of China. I called the company and told them the mushrooms had made us both sick. I have noticed the mushrooms are now a product of India. I still don’t buy them. Only buy fresh when they are on sale, always making sure they are produce of America, cook them up and freeze them in packages.

[Calvinist_Dark_Lord]

Only the huge direct loss from this problem can force change. Too much interlocking interests are getting in the way.

It sounds as if there is a market emerging for American made/grown products. The news media of recent problems is the best advertising.

If a profit can be made, American Entrepreneurs will find a way to do it. IMO, it will start at the local level with local farmers, and maybe a return to profitability of the local 'corner store'.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

TigerLikesRooster posts lots of threads about finances, with some of them emphasizing the shenanegans going on with its government and relationship to North Korea.

As if you don't have enough pings already, LOL.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Correction: TigerLikesRooster posts lots of threads about finances, with some of them emphasizing the shenanegans going on with China's government and relationship to North Korea.

As if you don't have enough pings already, LOL.