Food-Safety Issues Keep Ethics Spotlight Trained on China
Apr 21st, 2008 • Posted in: NewsAuthorities propose food-quality law with harsh penalties; U.S. lawmakers propose stepped-up inspection; “goons and thugs” remark by CNN commentator sparks street protest
VARIOUS DATELINES
China, attempting to restore faith in its consumer products, last week unveiled the draft of a law that provides penalties ranging from fines to life in prison for production of substandard, contaminated, or adulterated food products.
Reuters notes that China has been buffeted by a series of food safety problems in recent years, including contaminated toothpaste, fish, and pet food exported to other countries.
In response to safety issues, Democratic lawmakers in the United States last week proposed that all produce labels be required to show the country of origin, that food manufacturers of all kinds identify the origins of all food ingredients on their companies’ websites, and that medical devices label where components were manufactured, the Associated Press reports.
Another portion of the draft legislation would require U.S. regulators to inspect food and drug products more frequently, according to USA Today. The increased scrutiny would be paid for with added fees for food importers and exporters.
In related news, a CNN commentator’s remarks about the quality of Chinese goods sparked a demonstration in front of the network’s Hollywood offices last week, according to reports from the Los Angeles Times and the Hollywood Reporter. About 1,500 protestors took to the streets after the network’s Jack Cafferty said: “We continue to import their junk with the lead paint on them and the poisoned pet food and export … jobs to places where you can pay workers a dollar a month to turn out the stuff that we’re buying from Wal-Mart. So I think our relationship with China has certainly changed. I think they’re basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they’ve been for the last 50 years.” CNN said the “thugs and goons” remark was aimed at the Chinese government, not its people. The statement came at a particularly sensitive time, as anti-Chinese sentiment over Tibet policies has upset many Westerners and Chinese, disrupting China’s PR offensive in the run-up to the summer Olympics in Beijing.
Sources: Reuters, Apr. 19 — Hollywood Reporter, Apr. 19 — USA Today, Apr. 18 — AP, Apr. 18 — Los Angeles Times, Apr. 20.
For more information, see: Related Newsline story, Apr. 14 — Related Newsline story, Apr. 14 — Related Newsline story, Apr. 14 — Related Newsline story, Apr. 7 — Related Newsline story, Apr. 7.
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