From Chinese Press

Pork supplied to Macao safe

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-04-08 08:03

The inspection and quarantine department of Zhuhai, Guangdong province, has said that pork supplied from the Chinese mainland to Macao has been free of clenbuterol, a toxic additive and the cause of the latest food scandal. The department's claim, if true, may relieve people of some of their worries, says an article in Beijing News. Excerpts:

The Zhuhai inspection and quarantine department has said clenbuterol, which causes dizziness, palpitation and profuse sweating among humans, has not been found in the pork supplied to Macao. The reason for that, it said, are its strict measures, including specialized inspection standards and batch-by-batch inspection, to prevent contaminated food from entering the market.

But such a strict mechanism is not exclusive to Zhuhai. Similar measures are used in many cities and international and other events. For instance, during the Beijing 2008 Olympics Games, the capital catered food to more than 3 million visitors without any complaint. The Shanghai 2010 World Expo attracted more than 70 million visitors, and not a single food scandal was reported.

This means the country is capable of ensuring complete food safety, though it would entail a huge cost, because local authorities have to make relentless efforts to conduct special inspections and enhance enforcement.

Besides, all government departments have to forego their differences and set up a comprehensive supervision network.

The cost is truly immense, but it is trivial compared to the price the country has paid for food scandals.

(China Daily 04/08/2011 page9)