shook aboot "made in china"?

Aser

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/08/weekin...=rssnyt&emc=rssHave any of you actively checked labels lately, avoiding any food products made in China? Has anyone come across or has had experience w/ products recalled? Do you inquire about the origins of your seafood (especially tilapia/catfish)?

hogginthefogg

In related news: Beijing Steamed Buns Include Cardboard

mannybolone

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/08/weekin...=rssnyt&emc=rss

Have any of you actively checked labels lately, avoiding any food products made in China? Has anyone come across or has had experience w/ products recalled? Do you inquire about the origins of your seafood (especially tilapia/catfish)?

It's pretty fascinating how fast this has all come about - probably started with the pet food scandal? - and now EVERYTHING being imported it getting scrutiny. Considering that China just EXECUTED their head of the FDA for taking bribes (whoa!), seems like this is just the beginning.

If folks wondered all this time how things made in China came so cheap: there you go. I think American retailers, manufacturers and importers are all culpable too, to some degree. They're happy to reap the profits but few of them are willing to accept some level of accountability.

DOR

Head are really rolling in China...

Executions...

China really does not want anyone fucking with the games coming.

HAZ

Wow. Being a vegetarian, I think i've developed a false sense of security with food products. Just because they contain no meat doesn't mean that they may not contain other agents that can harm you. I'm gonna start being a little more discerning at the chinatown markets.

Kaushik

Call me cynical or paranoid or whatever, but it seems suspicious that all this "Made in China" controversy is popping up everywhere. I say the US government is using the real problems with some products of Chinese origin as a power move against China's growing economic dominance. Chip away at consumer confidence about things made in China, and you've got a pretty good long-term strategy for propping up the US' waning economic superpower-dom.

Egbert_Souse

This thread title was written with a Canadia accent.

mannybolone

Call me cynical or paranoid or whatever, but it seems suspicious that all this "Made in China" controversy is popping up everywhere. I say the US government is using the real problems with some products of Chinese origin as a power move against China's growing economic dominance. Chip away at consumer confidence about things made in China, and you've got a pretty good long-term strategy for propping up the US' waning economic superpower-dom.

I'd be willing to buy this to some degree except that I really doubt anyone had to manufacture falsities about shoddy product control and safety procedures in China. Corruption is incredibly rife in China and "public health" is still a relatively new concept there. I think what we're seeing now is the mere skim off the surface of how ugly things get.

If the U.S. worried about China? Of course. And they should be. But given how much the U.S. depends on Chinese imports AND how much U.S. manufacturing has been out-sourced to begin with, I don't see this as a massive attempt to besmirch Chinese brands in hopes of propping up American ones. The American manufacturing sector would be a disaster without China's help so I don't see this as a case of some behind-the-scenes string-pulling. It's not in America's economic interest to antagonize China but I think it's in everyone's interest to push China to get their safety standards far higher than they are now.

day

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/08/weekin...=rssnyt&emc=rss

Have any of you actively checked labels lately, avoiding any food products made in China? Has anyone come across or has had experience w/ products recalled? Do you inquire about the origins of your seafood (especially tilapia/catfish)?

It's pretty fascinating how fast this has all come about - probably started with the pet food scandal? - and now EVERYTHING being imported it getting scrutiny. Considering that China just EXECUTED their head of the FDA for taking bribes (whoa!), seems like this is just the beginning.

If folks wondered all this time how things made in China came so cheap: there you go. I think American retailers, manufacturers and importers are all culpable too, to some degree. They're happy to reap the profits but few of them are willing to accept some level of accountability.

Yeah, this whole situation is interesting.

China by far leads the list of countries making products that are recalled in the United States, accounting for 65 percent of all the recalled products in this country this year, according to CPSC. In 2006, China accounted for 233 product recalls -- nearly double the rate from the previous year, with lead a recurring cause among the recalls.

Who knows how much is directly related to whoever is (...or was) in charge and how much is just being discovered through closer scrutiny within the last year.

I think it's funny the tit-for-tat our two countries engage in though. China has now banned - and probably rightfully so - frozen chicken and pork from half a dozen U.S. companies.

One thing I didn't know about was the Thomas the Train recall. Any parents still letting their kids play with that stuff should take a look at this:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3275264

Kaushik

I'd be willing to buy this to some degree except that I really doubt anyone had to manufacture falsities about shoddy product control and safety procedures in China.

Absolutely -- I doubt any of the news reports are fabricated. But all the attention may lead to hypervigilance and perhaps a xenophobic backlash against products made in China. That's what worries me. It's easy to go for the soft targets. The irony is that the news reports talk about stuff that is obvious to the every day consumer, e.g. pet food and shrimp. I even saw something about Chinese tires blowing up on the road etc. But if you look closely at a lot of other products (consumer electronics like iPods, anyone?) the average Joe probably has no clue how much Chinese products are embedded in the stuff we use here every day.

But given how much the U.S. depends on Chinese imports AND how much U.S. manufacturing has been out-sourced to begin with, I don't see this as a massive attempt to besmirch Chinese brands in hopes of propping up American ones. The American manufacturing sector would be a disaster without China's help so I don't see this as a case of some behind-the-scenes string-pulling.

A prediction: a pro "Made in China" feel good PR campaign backed by Wal-Mart popping up in the near future. I'm sure the heads there are hard at work figuring out how to deal with this.

mannybolone

The Thomas recall was actually pretty big - I'd say it was about the #2 story behind the pet food scandal.

The timing of all these coming together is, to me, reflective of the fact that there's suddenly an awareness and more oversight. I guarantee things will begin to look even worse once the spotlight gets throw on.

Personally, I think the timing is great. I can't wait to see how much shit comes out of the closet between now and the Olympics. China wants to step on the world stage? Well, it's time to air out all the laundry along that way.

It kills me how some of my brethren think China's rise is symbolically a good thing for Asian men when they fail to consider that the source of their misplaced pride has been one of the most fucked up failures in social engineering, hypocrisy and power abuse of the last century. Not like America doesn't have similar problems but China's on a whole 'nother level.

Aser

I think China is more concerned w/ growing social unrest than their export reputation. There is an inherent level of distrust amongst locals now of products, a real fear that can't be masked by the government's ace in the hole, financial freedom.

It would be a shame as Chinese cuisine is one of the most complex and varied in the world. I would not want tourists to be devoid of this experience in fears of eating tainted products.

ps: I ate plenty of bao zi in China, wouldn't be surprised if I got some cardboard in me.

mannybolone

I think China is more concerned w/ growing social unrest than their export reputation. There is an inherent level of distrust amongst locals now of products, a real fear that can't be masked by the government's ace in the hole, financial freedom..

Wait until the out of control stock bubble pops and burns. Shit will be SUPER UGLY.

Aser

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6897844.stm