The clip has a sound bite from the CPSC, as well as your typical concerned Mom interviews and a round-up of recent Chinese Poison Train stories.
chinese poison train
Toxic Lead Paint Prompts Recall of 967,000 Fisher-Price Toys
By 8.2.07
Sorry kids, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Fisher-Price are recalling Big Bird, Elmo, Dora and 83 other types of fun toys that happen to be covered with toxic lead paint from China.
Ginger From China Laced With Illegal, Poisonous Pesticides
By 7.31.07
The California Department of Public Health is warning American consumers not to eat ginger imported from China because it might contain a dangerous pesticide.
Candy From Denmark Not As Filthy As Previously Reported
By 7.31.07
Remember when we said exports from countries not named China were also tainted and filthy? It turns out the exports aren’t as tainted and filthy as the New York Times originally reported. The Times explains that a “methodology problem was discovered” after the Danish Embassy complained that their candy was refused by FDA inspectors only 82 times, not 520, as the Times claimed. From the Gray Lady:
When the data was re-analyzed, it showed that the number of candy shipments rejected from Denmark had not been higher than the number of seafood shipments rejected from China, as the article stated. The number of shipments rejected from China was also misstated; it was 331, not 391.
The Chinese Poison Train Is Impervious To Lawsuits
By 7.30.07
Don’t try to sue the Chinese Poison Train. It won’t work. American victims of tainted Chinese products have found it nearly impossible to litigate against companies based in China. There are roadblocks at every step in the process: Americans can only sue Chinese companies that do business in the U.S.; phantom companies that exist only on paper refuse to hand over key documents; and, even if a consumer can win a default judgment, no treaty compels China to respect rulings from U.S. courts. From the Washington Post:
China To US: Fix Your Own Food Supply Issues First
By 7.20.07
China says the US should fix its own food supply issues and stop picking on China. The Chinese government issued a statement saying that they are trying to fix food export issues but that the US should fix its own issues first.
Woman Receives Severe Chemical Burns From Flip Flops, Walmart Tells Her To Complain To Manufacturer
By 7.20.07
A woman from Florida claims to have purchased some flip flops from Walmart, put them on her feet… only to suffer some sort of severe chemical burn along the lines where the straps of the flip flop met her feet.
Liveblogging The Senate Commerce Committee Hearing On The Chinese Poison Train
By 7.18.07
Join us at 10 am as we liveblog the progress of the Senate Commerce Committee’s China-bashing posse. Though common sense, and a report from the New York Times, shows that the U.S. imports tainted goods from several countries, the committee, and its smorgasbord of panelists, will only discuss the problems plaguing goods from China.
"Veggie Booty" Salmonella Outbreak Continues, More Children Sick
By 7.16.07
The FDA has announced that they have independently confirmed that the seasoning used in “veggie booty” is contaminated with salmonella. The outbreak, which has now sickened 61 children from 19 states, continues to grow. Please, stop feeding “Veggie Booty” to your children. Salmonella can cause serious infections that are sometimes fatal in young children.
By 7.15.07
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China today continued the tit-for-tat war of banned foods with America by blocking the import of chicken and pork from two of our largest producers. Tyson Foods and Cargill are both accused of exporting shipments containing chemicals and bacteria.
Tainted Exports Also Come From Countries Not Named China
By 7.14.07
Remember the Washington Post’s analysis of FDA Refusal Reports? The New York Times double-checked the Post’s work and found that China isn’t the only country exporting filthy salmonella-infested goods. Exports from India, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic have all been stopped at the U.S. border for failing to meet basic sanitary requirements.
Salmonella was the top reason that food was rejected from India, and it was found in products like black pepper, coriander powder and shrimp. “Filthy” was the primary reason food was stopped from Mexico, and the rejections included lollipops, crabmeat and dried chili.
92% Of Americans Want Country Of Origin Labels On Food
By 7.12.07
According to a national survey conducted by Consumer’s Union, the non-profit organization that publishes Consumer Reports, 92% of Americans want country of origin labels on their food. Country of origin labels are required on all imported food, thanks to a 5 year old law, but that law has never been enforced.
Cardboard A Main Ingredient In One Chinese Food
By 7.12.07
The AP reports that Chinese State TV has uncovered a “steamed bun” making operation in one Beijing neighborhood that uses pieces of cardboard collected from the street and softened with caustic soda as the main ingredient. From the AP:
The hidden camera follows the man, whose face is not shown, into a ramshackle building where steamers are filled with the fluffy white buns, traditionally stuffed with minced pork.
Poison Toothpaste Also Found In Prisons And Mental Hospitals
By 7.11.07
We missed this AP article from June 28th but poison toothpaste isn’t just for dollar stores anymore, turns out Georgia prisons and mental hospitals bought hundreds of thousands of the tubes and distributed it to their wards.
700 Tubes Of Poison Toothpaste Seized
By 7.11.07
Over 700 tubes of poisonous counterfeit toothpaste were seized in Connecticut, according to The New York Times. The toothpaste is flavored with diethylene glycol, a sweet-tasting chemical more commonly found in anti-freeze. It can cause liver and kidney damage if swallowed.
By 7.10.07
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China executes former food and drug regulator for taking bribes in return for giving the thumbs up to unsafe medicine, a punishment akin to getting pulled over and shot in the head for breaking the speed limit while keeping up with everyone else on the highway. [NYT]
Can China Tame The Chinese Poison Train?
By 7.8.07
Both The Washington Post and The New York Times have done a magnificent job examining the complex nature of the Chinese Poison Train, but the Times finally cut to the chase and asked the million-dollar question: can China tame the Chinese Poison Train? The solution requires China to reform an ailing regulatory regime.
As many as 17 bureaucracies have overlapping responsibilities in just the food and drug sphere, and they jealously guard their power. The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Administration of Industry and Commerce, and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine have all vied for monitoring roles.
Death Sentence For Corrupt Chinese Drug Official
By 7.6.07
China has sentenced a high ranking official to death on charges of corruption, reports the New York Times. Cao Wenzhuang is accused of accepting over $300,000 in bribes from pharmacutical companies in exchange for approving bogus drugs. Mr.Cao is the second Chinese offical to be sentenced to death for corruption in less than 2 months.
