August 17, 2007

 

China: 89.2 percent of food products passed quality standards in H1
 

 

China on Friday (Aug 17) said 89.2 percent of its food products nationwide on average passed quality standards in the first half of this year, in a report discussing the country's food quality situation. The statement came amid concerns that Chinese-made foods are dangerous to animals and people at home and abroad.

 

Of the country's 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, 14 of them recorded an average rate of above 90 percent in terms of meeting food quality standards in the first six months of this year, according to a government paper on China's food quality and safety situation issued Friday.

 

The paper mostly outlined China's food quality, safety and supervision system, and came after the highest levels of China's government called for greater scrutiny of the domestic food supply.

 

The paper did not address specific problems discovered in recent months, namely those found on international markets. China's food safety woes have included contaminated Chinese-made pet food that led to the deaths of some dogs and cats in North America, as well as heightened concerns by the US, EU and Japan over the use of dangerous substances in farm-raising of animals for Chinese seafood.

 

According to the paper, this year's first half saw China's food exports to the US, its second largest food export destination, reach 55,000 lots with 99.1 percent passing US inspection. Of the total, 477 lots of food exports did not pass US inspection, it said.

 

Of China's food exports to the European Union during H1, 99.8 percent of 62,000 lots passed EU inspection, the paper reported.

 

Citing Japanese data, the paper said that in random sampling done last year on Chinese food sales to Japan, importing authorities found that 99.4 percent of the Chinese samples passed inspection.

 

Last year, China's exports of food products, excluding wheat, corn, soybeans and other agricultural goods, totalled 24.17 million tonnes, up 13 percent, while their value grew 16 percent to US$26.66 billion, the government said.

 

China's top food exports include aquatic goods, vegetables, canned goods, juice and beverages, grain products, sauces, meat and alcohol, the government said.

 

The country's top destinations for its food exports are Japan, the US, South Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, Germany, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Indonesia and the UK, the government added.

 

The paper said China realises the benefits of international exchanges of information and experience to help raise food quality levels in the country.

 

Analysts point out that toxic or substandard Chinese-made foods and drugs have harmed more Chinese people than foreigners. A few years ago, several babies in a Chinese province died of malnutrition after consuming fake baby-milk powder, an incident that was widely reported by local media and which caused public outrage.