China must address, fix food safety issues

There's no use crying over spilled milk, but when the milk has been intentionally spiked with the industrial chemical melamine, it's time to cry foul.

China is bearing the brunt of this industrial malfeasance, with at least four dead children and some 50,000 suffering from kidney stones and other illnesses. Unfortunately, the tainted puddle of milk is spreading outward thanks to the global economy. Foods made with Chinese milk powder are being recalled or pulled voluntarily as retailers react to consumer fears. Some children in Hong Kong have also fallen ill.

The melamine has been found primarily in powdered milk and infant formula. However, products from 22 companies have been found to contain traces of melamine. Pennsylvania-based Heinz Foods took the precautionary measure of pulling its baby cereal, which is produced and sold in Asia. Like some other products, the trace amounts of melamine found are not thought to be dangerous. Also, Cadbury says its Chinese-made (and Asian-distributed) chocolates have been found to contain melamine.

Chinese officials swear it won't happen again, but many U.S. pet owners might remember that just last year, the problem was melamine-tainted pet food from China.

Hello! If people get upset when manufacturers knowingly add material to food for our animals (and that scandal spread to farm-raised fish and chickens), what do those manufacturers think parents will do? They should expect them to raise holy hell.

Li Changjiang, head of the agency tasked with keeping Chinese food safe, has resigned, and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has apologized. That's fine for a start, but not enough. China must make real reforms or its status as a desired exporter of goods will -- and should -- sink rapidly.

A BBC report blames the milk crisis on the poor condition of many Chinese cows. The farmers, poor themselves, can't afford to keep their herds, which are minuscule compared to American dairies, well fed or in sanitary facilities. In an effort to keep up with demand, the milk, according to the BBC, is diluted with water, which adds volume but decreases protein content. Then the melamine, a nitrogen compound, is added, making the milk appear to have more protein when tested.

It's unconscionable for an industry -- and the government overseeing the industry -- to allow this chemical tampering to happen. This is the kind of greed that threatens to wreak havoc with the world economy. We can only hope that China will get serious about safeguarding the health of its people and the people around the world who buy products made in China.

China proved its ability to produce a great show with this summer's Olympic Games. It proved last week that it can send astronauts on spacewalks and bring them to Earth safely. It has proved it can flood the world with cheaply produced goods.

But if China can't prove that it cares for its own people, its own babies, then it's time for the world to say no thanks to those goods.

* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Sarah Jenkins, Bill Lee and Karen Troianello.

• Jobs
  www.yakjobs.com
• Homes
  www.yakhomes.com
• 
  
• Autos
  www.yakwheels.com

• All Special Pubs Channels YakJobs.com YakWheels.com YakHomes.com Playdate Yakima Bride Yakima Wheels (Print) Home Buyer's Guide Baby Brag Book Graduates 2009 Summer in the Valley
• Advertisement