Related News
Crushed pearls often just shells
By Li Xinran |
September 21, 2010, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
POWDER made of crushed pearls has been a traditional Chinese skin care method for centuries, but in recent years many manufacturers have been using shells as their raw material, fooling buyers and making much higher profits, according to China Central Television.
Shells of pearl oysters used to be sold at hundreds of yuan per ton and processed for livestock feed or to produce clothes buttons. Now the shells are worth a lot more because they're in demand for processing into pearl powder, CCTV reported yesterday.
Manufacturers use sodium hydroxide, a corrosive toxic chemical, as bleach to turn the shells white before crushing them, the report said.
Both manufacturers and distributors in coastal Zhejiang Province, one of the country's major bases of pearl industry, knew the bleach was harmful to humans, but made the products anyway, it said.
CCTV also raised questions about some pearl powder products allegedly made by nanotechnology - and sold at premium prices. It said the products contain powder particles that are much bigger than a "nano" particle ought to be.
A major producer of the high-tech pearl powder based in Zhejiang admitted that "nanotechnology" was mainly an idea to promote sales.
The factory's parent Shanxiahu Pear Group Co Ltd was China's first listed company in the industry.
Shells of pearl oysters used to be sold at hundreds of yuan per ton and processed for livestock feed or to produce clothes buttons. Now the shells are worth a lot more because they're in demand for processing into pearl powder, CCTV reported yesterday.
Manufacturers use sodium hydroxide, a corrosive toxic chemical, as bleach to turn the shells white before crushing them, the report said.
Both manufacturers and distributors in coastal Zhejiang Province, one of the country's major bases of pearl industry, knew the bleach was harmful to humans, but made the products anyway, it said.
CCTV also raised questions about some pearl powder products allegedly made by nanotechnology - and sold at premium prices. It said the products contain powder particles that are much bigger than a "nano" particle ought to be.
A major producer of the high-tech pearl powder based in Zhejiang admitted that "nanotechnology" was mainly an idea to promote sales.
The factory's parent Shanxiahu Pear Group Co Ltd was China's first listed company in the industry.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
