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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
Photo from serenitynow78.
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This is getting ridiculous. It is starting to resemble a group of kids shouting insults at each other. Why all the sudden food scares in such a short span of time?
1. Because lots of countries would like to take the luster off China's growth explosion
and
2. It's true
Son of a bitch. I've been eating White Rabbits sicne I was 4.
This really is getting a bit ridiculous. I don't know if its all true or not, but I am a bit taken aback and scared. I mean, why is it just now that everything seems to be snowballing? From one point I can understand China's feelings, that it seems everyone is attacking them from all directions. But also, instead of lashing back, China really needs to take a serious look at these things and actually make some changes. I'm an ABC working in China a lot times of the year, and I'm a little scared for my health. And yeah, lots of my friends have been eating these candies since very young as well so blech! :(
Darn it all to heck. This is a classic candy like Tootsie Rolls or Bubble Yum and China still manages to screw it up.
nanheyangrouchuan
http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20070709_107121_107121
i was going to say something about consuming formaldehyde in the form of delicious white rabbit candies.
but then i realize that i smoke cigs, and there's gotta be a shitload of formaldehyde contained in each puff.
i mean, i don't really care about either, as i will still smoke and still eat white rabbits, but why aren't cigarettes banned globally if they contain all these harmful chemicals that allowed to be in food?
Because cigarette companies have more political clout than the Guan Sheng Yuan candy group?
This food thing going on over there might really screw up the economy for you guys.
A Chinese equivalent of the FDA needs to be organized.
There is one. They just shot the person in charge of it.