On Sun, 12 Jun 2005 23:52:26 GMT, ggg > wrote:

>
>I get my Mainland news READ to me but English translations are
>available on the internet:

Even though Epoch Times is one of the sources of the translations,
please remember that it is the official Mainland news that is giving
out all this information. The Mainlanders are the original concerned
parties, but outsiders should look into what they are buying without
worrying about looking like maniacs. The information IS available:


According to The People’s Daily, food safety concerns are prominent in
China, and the food manufacturing process needs better inspection and
controls.

This problem is evident in the recent distribution of impure milk
powder in Fuyang and poisoned liquor in Guangdong.

In recent years, the Chinese media has reported many incidents of
people having been poisoned by inferior or spoiled foods.

There are five major food safety problems in China:

Contamination occurs during the cultivation process. It is very
difficult to supervise and control the manufacturing process of
agriculture products produced by individual farmers; prohibited
products and processes are widely used.

Food-processing factories are problematic sources of contamination.
Most such factories are small, isolated and unorganized. Most
factories are not properly equipped to produce quality foodstuffs.

Food distribution is not well organized. Chinese food management
enterprises lack needed facilities and food distribution is managed
with out-of-date methods.

Food safety protection is relatively weak in the countryside.
Criminals sell impure and bad foods at country fairs and in small
shops. During the Fuyang milk powder incident, farmers’ rights and
interests were seriously and directly harmed.

Food safety problems have brought a bad reputation to Chinese foods in
the international market. The recent consecutive reports about the
incidents of Fuyang milk powder, Longkou noodles and Sichuan pickled
vegetables have already drawn attention and brought serious concerns
from Japan, the United States, Hong Kong and Macao. The aforementioned
countries have already exerted restrictions on the import of Chinese
foods.