Formaldehyde in our White Rabbits?

Latest in the series of food safety scandals to rock China: the Philippine Bureau of Food and Drugs has found traces of the cancer-causing agent formaldehyde in the White Rabbit candies produced in Shanghai by the Guan Sheng Yuan Group. We must admit we were a little taken aback because the yummilicious milk candy was one of our favourites growing up several thousand miles away in Singapore!

Shanghai Daily tells us that the White Rabbit candy is sold in over 50 countries and has been a cash cow for Guan Sheng Yuan for almost 50 years with annual sales of about three billion yuan (US$397 million). While the company has insisted that its candies are safe and that "no preservatives were added during the production of White Rabbit milk candies", the Shanghai Daily story does have one very telling quote which leaves us wondering from Xin Yuanqing, vice director of food supervision department under the Shanghai quality watchdog:

The current regulation on candy production doesn't have the amount of formaldehyde content in candies

Tests will be done on local White Rabbit candies in Shanghai and the results will be out soon. Meanwhile, the candy-maker has already slammed the Philippines bureau as "irresponsible", reserving the "right to press legal proceedings over damage to the brand", and also "urged overseas media to stop reporting the fake news, which damaged the brand's reputation".

If we can take some time off blogging tomorrow, we will go straight to the doctor's to test how much formaldehyde we've ingested over the years!

Related links
International Herald Tribune: Chinese candy maker denies formaldehyde problem, Beijing refutes report of fake buns
Manila Standard Today: State widens ban on food items coming from China
Xinhua: Chinese company denies poisonous substance claim
Shanghai Daily: Producer: 'White Rabbit' candies tested safe

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