Over the past few months there have been numerous recalls and warnings with food and other products from China.
China’s export of pet food was found to contain melamine and contaminated wheat gluten, which led to the largest pet food recall in American History. Toothpaste from China was recently found to contain diethylene glycol, which is often used as a solvent in antifreeze. It has been discovered that toys from the country have lead in the paint and now tires for tractor-trailers were recalled because they have an inadequate or missing gum strip.
Because of all the recent problems with Chinese products, 180 food plants were closed in China. Investigators found over 23,000 different safety violations.
Chinese representatives have denied the allegations that their exports are contaminated and hazardous. In reaction to these claims, China seems to have retaliated by denying some American and European imports. Two shipments of orange pulp and apricots were impounded because of supposed bacteria and mold. Evian from France was also denied because of high bacteria levels.
An announcement from the General Administration of Quality, Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine stated that there have been numerous fraud cases associated with the food market in China. Law enforcement officials found illegal food making dens and processing plants, counterfeit and fake products, and illegal chemicals added to food products.
The main problem in China is that food regulations have not been enforced adequately. Over the last few months the Chinese government has been making an effort to make sure regulations are followed. The country also has cold storage and logistic systems problems. To fix these issues China will have to invest billions of dollars on the project.