Top 10 Chinese Food Scandals

Daily Telegraph: Top 10 Chinese Food Scandals

Top 10 Chinese Food Scandals

Melamine Milk scandal

In 2008 six babes were killed and 300,000 were left sickened after consuming infant formula contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine. The scandal, which was hushed up for several months to avoid embarrassment during the Olympic Games, caused outrage in China and smashed public confidence in the government and its ability to regulate the food industry.

Toxic Bean-sprouts

Police in the northeastern city of Shenyang seized 40 tons of beans-prouts in April 2011. The tainted vegetables had been treated with sodium nitrite and urea, as well as antibiotics and a plant hormone called 6-benzyladenine. The chemicals were used to make them grow faster and look ‘shinier’ in the market stalls. 12 people were arrested.

Pesticide-drenched ‘yard-long’ beans

More than 3.5 tons of “yard-long” green beans contaminated with banned pesticide isocarbophos, were destroyed after being discovered on sale in the central city of Wuhan in March 2010. The beans had come from the southern city of Sanya, and allegations of another attempted cover-up followed after the Sanya agricultural law enforcement bureau said it was “inconsiderate” of Wuhan authorities to publicise the case.

Leather milk

In February 2011 reports emerged of another milk contamination scandal, this time using leather-hydrolyzed protein which, like melamine, appears to boost the protein-content of milk, thereby enhancing its value. The problem had been detected as early as March 2009 reported the official China Daily newspaper reported Friday. China announced this month it was closing almost half of its dairies in a bid to clean up the industry.

‘Aluminium’ dumplings

After reports that much of China’s rice crop was contaminated with heavy metals, health authorities in Shenzhen, southern China tested 696 samples of food made with flour, including dumplings and steamed buns. Nearly one third (28pc) were found to have levels of aluminium above national standards, the Shenzhen Standard reported. The contamination was blamed on excessive use of baking powder containing the metal.

Glow-in-the-dark pork

Reports and photographs surfaced last month showing pork that glowed an eerie, iridescent blue when the kitchen lights were turned off. Online users dubbed it “Avatar” meat and remained sceptical despite reassurances from the Shanghai Health Supervision Department which said the pork that has been contaminated by a phosphorescent bacteria and was still safe eat if well-cooked.

‘Lean meat powder’ pork

China has fought a long-running battle with the use of the steroid clenbuterol in pork production. Known as ‘lean meat powder’, it can cause dizziness, heart palpitations, diarrhoea and profuse sweating. The most recent case occurred last March in a stock market-listed pork producer, but China has acknowledged 18 outbreaks of food-related clenbuterol poisoning between 1998 and 2007, according to a report on the Shanghai Food Safety website.

Toxic take-away boxes

In April 2010 more than 7m toxic disposable food containers were seized in eastern province of Jiangxi. Although banned in 1999, the foam-boxes are still in widespread use in China, releasing toxic elements when warmed by food. The chemicals have the potential to damage livers, kidneys and reproductive organs.

‘Sewer’ oil

An undercover investigation by a professor from Wuhan Polytechnic University in March 2010 estimated that one in 10 of all meals in China were cooked using recycled oil, often scavenged from the drains beneath restaurants. The State Food and Drug Administration issued a nationwide emergency ordering an investigation into the scandal of the so-called ‘sewer’ oil, which further dented public confidence in the food industry.

‘Cadmium’ rice

Research published in February claimed that up to 10 per cent of rice sold in China was contaminated with heavy metals, including cadmium. Data collected by Nanjing Agricultural University found that the problem was most acute in Southern provinces, where in some areas 60 per cent of samples were contaminated, some with up to five times the legal limit.

三聚氰胺牛奶
2008年，有6个宝宝因此丧命，另外还有30万个宝宝在饮用了含有工业化学原料三聚氰胺的牛奶之后产生不良反应。这件丑闻一直持续了很长一段时间。同时，这件丑闻引起了许多人的义愤，公众因此对国产牛奶失去了信心，为此很多家长都去买价格更高的国外品牌的奶粉。

有毒豆芽
2011年4月，沈阳警察部分收缴了40吨豆芽。这些腐烂的豆芽经过了亚硝酸钠、尿素、抗生素和一种名叫6-苄基腺嘌呤的植物激素的加工处理。这些化学品可以让豆芽生长得更快更好看。警察最终捕获了12名犯罪分子。

充满杀虫剂的豇豆
2010年3月，在武汉中心城区发现有超过2.5吨被杀虫剂处理过的绿色豇豆在市场上销售，发现后被全部销毁。这些豇豆来自南方城市三亚，三亚的农业执法部门却表示，武汉当局对此事曝光是考虑不周的。

皮革奶
又在2011年2月，媒体再次曝光了皮革奶丑闻。这次的皮革奶跟三聚氰胺有很多相似性，被水解过得皮革可以增加牛奶中的蛋白质含量。其实这种问题奶早在2009年3月就有报道。中国本月宣布关闭几乎一半的牛奶场以防万一。

“铝”饺子
在被报道在中国有许多大米都受重金属的污染州，深圳卫生局检测了696种由面粉制造的食品，包括饺子和云吞。发现几乎有三分之一的食品铝超标。这些超标的食品是由于过度使用含金属的烘焙粉末所造成的。

发光猪
就在上月，一张可怕的发光猪的照片被曝光，当厨房灯关掉的时候猪肉会发出彩蓝色的光。网民把这些猪比作阿凡达。上海卫生监管部门表示，这些肉是由于一种磷光细菌所引起了，只要经过煮熟还是可以放心食用的。

健美猪
中国一直在长期打击在猪肉食品加工中添加瘦肉精。服用这类食品会导致头昏眼花、腹泻、心肌梗塞和浑身出汗等毛病。最近的事件发生在中国双汇身上。根据上海食品安全网站的报道，从1998年-2007年，中国已经爆发类似事件18次。

有毒一次性食品容器
2010年4月，有超过700万个有毒一次性食品包装容器在江西省被查出。尽管在1999年被明令禁止，但是这些泡沫盒仍然在全国广大地区被广泛使用。这些化学制品有损坏肝脏、肾脏和生殖器的可能。

地沟油
2010年3月，武汉理工大学的教授在经过了秘密调查之后，估计在中国有十分一致的伙食由地沟油来煮熟。国家食品和药物部门明令在全国调查地沟油事件，这件事情也打击了中国公民对食品业的信心。

“镉”米
二月的一项研究声称在中国有十分之一的稻米存在重金属超标，包括镉。信息收集者南京农业大学发现，问题在南方省份最严重，在一些地区有60%的稻米被污染，一些稻米超标多大5倍