In pursuit of quick development into a world power, China seems to have ignored the basic rule that unless the population is happy, contented and healthy, no short gains are sustainable, no matter how glossy the "report card" may look. People around the world are still finding it difficult to erase the troubled memory of children affected by the melamine tainted milk last year and now comes the news that wide scale fraud is rampant in the cooking oil sector, which was found to be distributing oil containing cancerous materials. It is good that there is no attempt yet to cover up the fiasco and truth may emerge regarding the extent of damage afflicted by the laxity in safety monitoring by the concerned government agency.
"The State Food and Drug Administration, China's food safety watchdog, has ordered a nationwide inspection of all cooking oil as reports released by The China Daily indicated that almost one-tenth of Chinese supplies contained cancer-causing agents and were made illegally. According to the Administration's website, "If food service providers are found to be using cooking oil from an unclear source, or if they have bought 'drainage oil,' their operations will be immediately halted and they will be dealt with in accordance with the law."
It defies logic as to how consumers can accept edible oil products containing drainage oil unless there is no other alternative choice before them or such products are much cheaper than standard products. One is reminded of wide spread adulteration of cooking oils in India, the most targeted ones being mustard oil with argemone oil, Coconut oil with palmolein or rubber seed oil and groundnut oil with many cheaper oils. Of course with a farce enforcement regime under the pompous name of Food Standards and Safety Agency of India, it is field day for the "hard working" food adulteration industry in the country.
V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com
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