Growing Concerns About Products From China
Thursday, May 03, 2007PAUL KANGAS: China exported more than $2 billion worth of agricultural products to the United States last year. But there are growing safety concerns about those food exports. The recent pet food contamination scare has been traced to a food additive from China. And as Stephanie Dhue reports U.S. lawmakers want China to tighten its standards.
STEPHANIE DHUE, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT CORRESPONDENT: China is a major exporter of fruits, vegetables and other food products. But the recent cases of exported pet food contaminated with the chemical melamine have highlighted a growing safety problem with Chinese agricultural exports. Congresswoman Rosa Delauro is calling on the U.S. to scale back plans to allow imports of Chinese poultry.
REP. ROSA DELAURO CHAIR, APPROPRIATIONS AGRICULTURE SUBCOMMITTEE: Trade is important, but trade does not trump public health. This is about public health. That's why we need a strong food safety system in this country.
DHUE: Most of the criticism surrounding the tainted wheat gluten imported from China has been directed at the Food and Drug administration. Congresswoman Delauro has introduced food safety legislation that would give the FDA the power to order mandatory recalls, establish an early warning system and fine violators. But Delauro says the Chinese also need to be on notice.
DELAURO: We may have to limit imports, agricultural imports, if we can not get the assurances that we need in order to protect public health.
DHUE: China doesn't have a great track record for product safety. Last year, nearly half of all consumer product recalls were manufactured in the Asian nation. Nancy Nord heads the Consumer Product Safety Commission. In 10 days she will be in Beijing as part of a cooperative approach to help the Chinese improve product safety.
NANCY NORD, ACTING CHAIRMAN, CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION: Our challenge is to make sure that the Chinese manufacturers and the Chinese government understand that in the United States we do have a culture of safety and imports, which are growing in number dramatically, need to meet the same safe standards that U.S. manufactured products meet.
DHUE: Trade consultant Henry Levine expects China to address the issues, but says part of the problem is its weak enforcement of health and safety regulations.
HENRY LEVINE, CONSULTANT, STONEBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL: So there is a structural issue on the Chinese side, but I do think that they are sensitive to the criticism and also highly motivated to want to maintain a positive reputation as an exporter.
DHUE: Experts say how the Chinese handle the food safety issue will be a key factor in its trade relationship with the U.S. Initially, China denied it sold the contaminated wheat gluten. But since then, Chinese officials have moved, although slowly, to address the problems. Stephanie Dhue, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT, Washington.
