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New tainted milk signals need for enforcement
Source: Xinhua |
February 12, 2010, Friday
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CHINA'S State Council has set up a food safety commission consisting of three vice premiers and a dozen minister-level officials, following a string of nationwide crackdowns and arrests in the wake of new melamine-tainted milk products being discovered.
The commission members announced Wednesday include Vice Premiers Li Keqiang, Hui Liangyu and Wang Qishan, as well as more than 10 heads or vice heads of government departments in charge of health, finance, and agriculture, among others.
The high-profile establishment of the commission showed the Chinese leadership's determination to address the country's food safety issues, professor Wang Yukai of the Chinese Academy of Governance told Xinhua on Wednesday.
The State Council's announcement followed reports of a number of melamine-contaminated milk products being found in Shanghai and Liaoning, Shandong, and Shaanxi provinces in the past few months.
"The reemergence of the tainted milk products is a sign that China's food safety system is far from perfect," Wang said.
Food safety drew national attention in China in 2004, when at least 13 babies died from malnutrition in the eastern province of Anhui and another 171 were hospitalized, after consuming low-quality infant milk powder that contained too little protein.
In November 2006, the country's food safety watchdog found seven companies producing salted red-yolk eggs with cancer-causing red Sudan dyes to make their eggs look redder and fresher.
Lack of supervision
In 2008 there was the melamine milk scandal. Milk laced with melamine caused the deaths of six babies and sickened 300,000 others fed with baby formula made from tainted milk.
The addition of melamine "fakes" high protein levels, so less milk can be used.
The scandal destroyed the credibility of China's dairy industry and seriously damaged the "made in China" brand internationally.
Food safety remains a concern in the country to this day, due to inadequate coordination, poor law enforcement and supervision of government departments, Wang said.
In the recently reported melamine-tainted milk cases, some of the tainted milk products were apparently made of old batches of tainted milk powder slated for destruction.
"The reason why the melamine-tainted milk powder was not completely destroyed and instead reused in production lies in inadequate law enforcement and supervision," said Wang Wei, also a professor from the Beijing-based Chinese Academy of Governance.
Zheng Yongnian, director of the East Asian Institute of the National University of Singapore, said: "Food safety incidents not only happen in China, but in developed countries as well. The key to solve the problem is government supervision, and effective enforcement of the laws."
He said the establishment of the commission highlights that China is further adjusting the relations between government and market.
And China's market economy is at such a stage of development that government must play a strong role in regulating it.
The commission members announced Wednesday include Vice Premiers Li Keqiang, Hui Liangyu and Wang Qishan, as well as more than 10 heads or vice heads of government departments in charge of health, finance, and agriculture, among others.
The high-profile establishment of the commission showed the Chinese leadership's determination to address the country's food safety issues, professor Wang Yukai of the Chinese Academy of Governance told Xinhua on Wednesday.
The State Council's announcement followed reports of a number of melamine-contaminated milk products being found in Shanghai and Liaoning, Shandong, and Shaanxi provinces in the past few months.
"The reemergence of the tainted milk products is a sign that China's food safety system is far from perfect," Wang said.
Food safety drew national attention in China in 2004, when at least 13 babies died from malnutrition in the eastern province of Anhui and another 171 were hospitalized, after consuming low-quality infant milk powder that contained too little protein.
In November 2006, the country's food safety watchdog found seven companies producing salted red-yolk eggs with cancer-causing red Sudan dyes to make their eggs look redder and fresher.
Lack of supervision
In 2008 there was the melamine milk scandal. Milk laced with melamine caused the deaths of six babies and sickened 300,000 others fed with baby formula made from tainted milk.
The addition of melamine "fakes" high protein levels, so less milk can be used.
The scandal destroyed the credibility of China's dairy industry and seriously damaged the "made in China" brand internationally.
Food safety remains a concern in the country to this day, due to inadequate coordination, poor law enforcement and supervision of government departments, Wang said.
In the recently reported melamine-tainted milk cases, some of the tainted milk products were apparently made of old batches of tainted milk powder slated for destruction.
"The reason why the melamine-tainted milk powder was not completely destroyed and instead reused in production lies in inadequate law enforcement and supervision," said Wang Wei, also a professor from the Beijing-based Chinese Academy of Governance.
Zheng Yongnian, director of the East Asian Institute of the National University of Singapore, said: "Food safety incidents not only happen in China, but in developed countries as well. The key to solve the problem is government supervision, and effective enforcement of the laws."
He said the establishment of the commission highlights that China is further adjusting the relations between government and market.
And China's market economy is at such a stage of development that government must play a strong role in regulating it.
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