Are you avoiding Chinese-made food and consumer goods?

[Admiral Beez]

By now I imagine all of us are familiar with the tainted and ill-produced pet food, toothpaste, confectionary (with dangerous levels or outlawed food colours and additives), fish (http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=5600400 , blood products, lead-painted/dangerous toys, self igniting compact bulbs, etc...from China.

My question, do any of you now actively avoid goods made in China? Does all this news have any impact on your buying habits? Myself, if I see made in China, I generally don't buy it. That means that my two young daughters can't have the latest Disney toys at Christmas or the cheapest plastic/vinyl shoes, nor can they have the gel-pops in the form of their favourite brand characters. But it's a small price for safety, at least until the day China gets its quality control under wraps.

Did you know that China is the global leader in producing apples? That a lot of the apple juice concentrates consumed in the west come from China, but are repacked in Canada where they are added to Canadian water, and thus become product of Canada.

I read a good press release from China, where the head of China's food safety basically said that if western importing companies come to China for only the cheap price of things, then that's what they'll get. The wheat gluten laced with melamine was a classic example - as there's no way that Chinese companies could sell wheat gluten far below the global commodity price without doctoring the goods somehow; and western importers should have known this, but didn't care.

 

[EnviroTO]

I saw some documentary mentioning the chemicals they spray on many of their crops would not be permitted here.

 

[Urban Shocker]

My last Chinese-made purchase was a gross of Bee & Flower brand soap bars that'll last me until 2015 at least. I have no idea what went into their manufacture, but I've been using that soap for decades and my skin is as smooth and lovely as ever.

Before that, I bought a tin of Lapsong Souchong black tea. It is incredibly strong - I only need to add a small pinch of it to four spoonfuls of the Sri Lankan Alwazah FBOP black tea to make a delicious big pot to go with brunch at weekends. I must admit to having wondered at first whether the Lapsong Souchong's startling flavour was enhanced by some sort of toxic flavouring compound, but I think it more likely that it is in the nature of the beast.

 

[Admiral Beez]

As a side note, I read a rebuttal from a senior Chinese official when criticized about China's refusal to join Kyoto or to undertaken any emissions control. The official basically said that China is the world's factory, and all the emissions that would have been made by factories in Europe, Japan, North America, etc. making goods for those markets have moved to China. His closing remark was that if you don't like Chinese goods or their record on polution, don't buy them.

 

[Urban Shocker]

Communist China - home to most of the planet's few remaining unrepentant capitalists.

 

[vicente]

It should be safe to buy cheap dollar-store stuff, since the expectation is already there that they're one dollar for a reason (crappy quality).
Just don't buy stuff that have a potential of causing health problems. E.g. toothpaste, food, hair products, air fresheners, etc. and don't buy toys for your kids from China.

I don't see the harm with Made in China clothes. The worst that could happen is bad style and laughs from the misspellings.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I don't see the harm with Made in China clothes. The worst that could happen is bad style and laughs from the misspellings.

If only it were true, even if we forgoe the awful treatment of their factory workers.

- Kid's clothes contain dangerous dye http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-05/31/content_604581.htm
- Zeller's recalls potentially dangerous baby clothes http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2002/01/25/zellers020125.html

Apparently this book has just come out..

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Year-Without-Made-China-One-Sara-Bongiorni/9780470116135-item.html?ref=Search+Books%3a+'Made+in+China'

...and makes for an interesting read about one family's goal to buy nothing from China. You're bound to see this author on Oprah and testifying to the US Congress.

 

[wyliepoon]

Being Chinese, it's so hard for me not to buy Chinese. I eat Chinese food, I wear "Made in China" clothes, and I'm using some sort of Chinese herbal shampoo for my hair.

Reports of poor quality mainland Chinese products have been circulating for years in local Chinese newspapers- there's usually one report on such goods every other day. I usually try to avoid food produced in mainland China (those with simplified Chinese writing and/or pinyin on them), but I'm still very confident with products made in Hong Kong or Taiwan (with traditional Chinese script and proper labelling in English on their packaging).

The scare over mainland Chinese products is part of the reason why T&T is such a popular supermarket. It's a Taiwanese-style supermarket which tends to carry Taiwanese and Hong Kong products over mainland Chinese products, which are more often sold in the cheaper Chinese supermarkets.

 

[adma]

My last Chinese-made purchase was a gross of Bee & Flower brand soap bars that'll last me until 2015 at least. I have no idea what went into their manufacture, but I've been using that soap for decades and my skin is as smooth and lovely as ever.

Hey, they're careful. They make sure Fido's been wearing a flea collar before they melt him down for soap

 

[Skeezix]

Did you know that China is the global leader in producing apples? That a lot of the apple juice concentrates consumed in the west come from China, but are repacked in Canada where they are added to Canadian water, and thus become product of Canada.

That's scary as hell. You can't even rely on the label. But I guess it was the same thing as the dog food -- much of it was "Made in Canada", but contained contaminated Chinese product.

 

[Admiral Beez]

It's hard to avoid made in China food ingredients. For example, did you know that the vast majority of manufactured Vitamin C comes from China?

 

[AndreaPalladio]

It's easy to avoid made in China food ingredients. You don't buy processed, packaged food. You buy local, organic food. Simple.

 

[Skeezix]

It's easy to avoid made in China food ingredients. You don't buy processed, packaged food. You buy local, organic food. Simple.

A worthy objective, but not always simple.

Often, I find myself having to choose between local or organic. It's not always easy.

And buying local and organic is a luxury that quite a number of people in this city do not have. Some people just want to buy juice for their family, and can't afford to buy pure, no-additive, Ontario-made juice at a local farmers' market or specialty store.

 

[Urban Shocker]

Drink tap water, it's cheaper and has zero calories. Eat an orange or an apple with it - more nutritious, and the water enables the fibre in the fruit to work.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Three more brands of toothpaste flagged

Health Canada reports presence of toxic agent

Jul 06, 2007 04:30 AM
Thulasi Srikanthan
Staff Reporter

Concerns over the safety of Chinese products continued to mount yesterday as Health Canada reported finding three more brands of Chinese toothpaste with the potentially deadly chemical diethylene glycol.

The announcement brings to 24 the number of Chinese toothpastes being sold in Canada that contain the low-cost toxic agent usually found in anti-freeze.

"Of particular concern are specific vulnerable populations like children or people with liver or kidney disease," said Alain Desroches, a spokesperson for Health Canada.

He said the diethylene glycol was a poisonous chemical that could lead to various ailments including stomach pain, dizziness, urinary problems, lethargy, convulsions and even death.

Even though they are not approved by Health Canada, the toothpastes - pictured, right - were found in Chinese food and general stores across Canada, particularly in the Toronto and Vancouver areas.

The products are part of a growing list of tainted products – including toys, pet food, tires and snacks – from the low-cost export giant that have come under increased scrutiny this year.

Paul Beamish, professor of international business at the University of Western Ontario and a expert on the Asian-Pacific region, said there is no doubt these type of problems are going to increase concerns among Western consumers and affect the China brand.

"It is something that China needs to spend a lot of time worrying about right now," Beamish said. "As a country it's trying to establish itself as a reliable source for all kinds of products. If enough problems slip through it is going to hurt the brand."

Part of the problem, Beamish says, stems from the regulatory system in China having to develop at the same pace as its companies.

One of the concerns is not whether they have regulations, but instead whether they have enforcement, he said.

David Detomasi, professor of international business at Queen's University, said these types of problems reinforce the image of China as a low-cost low-tech producer when they are capable of much more.

"The `Made in China' label has sort of the brand image the `Made in Japan' label had about 30 years ago where people associated Japanese products with poor quality," Detomasi said. "China is at the stage right now where they are primarily identified with making fairly cheap products."

International pressure could lead to change, Detomasi says.

"In the headlong rush to develop and grow, these institutions tend to catch up," he said.

State media recently announced that China is stepping up controls on dental care products.

A set of "strict certification and evaluation procedures" are being drawn up for oral care products by China's Health Ministry and the China Certification and Accreditation Administration, the China News Service said.

As for the toothpastes, though Health Canada hasn't received any reports of adverse reactions, it is urging consumers to discontinue immediate use and be vigilant when it comes to purchasing these products.

Retailers have been instructed to return the products immediately to the importers.