Milk gone bad - greedy, greedy people
Trip Start
Jan 30, 2007
1
219
634
Trip End
Dec 31, 2011
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Beijing,
China
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Seems like some folk have been putting an additive into the milk to water it down while bulking up the protein readings. Nasty.
So far, it seems that maybe 10% of China's milk is affected, and some two dozen milk companies are implicated. The largest, Sanlu, is part owned by New Zealand's Fonterra, and while they are doing a PR offensive to ensure they don't come out of this looking like they turned a blind eye to the contamination because of business and cultural concerns, it seems they knew about this a long time ago.
A couple of years ago there was a similar case with baby formula bulked up with worthless sawdust and soy by-products, which led to deaths of infants, and ultimately, the execution of China's food safety programme for taking bribes.
I was in Hong Kong and Guangdong this week, and in every supermarket or 7-11 there were lots of milk products sitting there - unsold - as well as empty shelves where products had been pulled.
For visitors to China, going to a supermarket is an insight. There are staff for most aisles, but the one with the most staff, as well as magnetic security tags is the aisle with the milk powders and baby formulas. Why?
They are high value items, selling for around $20US to parents and older people.
Traditionally Chinese haven't been big dairy consumers, but recent marketing efforts and concerns about health, bones and Western diets have meant many use dairy products. Even those who might be lactose intolerent.
This latest scandal has been a kick in the guts for the Chinese government, which was riding high after the Olympics. People are questioning its ability to ensure public safety.
Maybe it would have been better to spend those billions of yuan on food testing and checking, rather than over-the-top security for the Games?
Anyway, there are a few channels for people's discontent, one of them is humour:
One joke, entitled "The lucky day of a Chinese", takes a look at all the dangerous or unsanitary goods the average Zhou could run into on a daily basis.
"Get up early, clean your teeth with carcinogenic toothpaste, and drink a glass of expired milk with excess levels of iodine and contaminated with melamine," it starts, melamine being the compound found tainting the baby milk powder.
Other delicacies it suggests eating during the course of the day are eggs tinted with banned food colorant Sudan Red, eels fed on contraceptives, and cabbage washed with DDT -- all references to previous health scandals in China.
Don't forget to miss out on pork from pigs which have died of disease, a particular problem in rural areas.
"What a great day!" the joke ends, sarcastically.
In another joke, a man goes into a local store to buy some bread, but discovers there's no expiry date written on the package.
The sales clerk looks at the packet, and then gets out a pen.
"Don't worry, let me write one on for you," he says.
Then spare a thought for the two men who go looking for a mid-morning caffeine boost.
"I'll have a coffee," the first man tells the waiter.
"Me too, and make sure the cup is clean," the second adds.
A moment later the waiter reappears.
"Sorry, which one of you wanted the clean cup?"
