China ups food inspection, turns spotlight on imported goods

Take cover! Barricade yourself! Citizens of China must be protected from ...foreign… milk powder? China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine (AQSIQ) has rejected more than 150 imported food and cosmetic products from the US, Japan, New Zealand, Denmark, and several other European Union nations. My, how the tables have turned and as always, they've turned fast.

The Shanghai Daily reports:

"Officials from the Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau have said that consumers should carefully check the packaging on all imported food to ensure its bona fides. All authorized imported food came with detailed Mandarin information and expiry dates on the packaging, they said."

Inspectors found that US PepsiCo drinks held high bacteria levels, Denmark milk powder did not hold up to its claimed nutritional standard, and New Zealand's Wahaha protein was corrupted with potentially fatal bacteria. Seems like the embarrassing and tragic series of food-related scandals have finally kicked AQSIQ into actually doing its job- even the apparently irresistible imported US chicken feet have not passed Chinese market regulation standards.

However, the drive behind the sudden crackdown may not stand the test of time: the coming National Day celebrations and World Expo preparations have pushed inspection procedures to a new level of caution, which is good. But we wonder- are the same heavy regulations being applied to domestic products?