SAFETY CONCERNS IN CHINA-FOREIGN BRANDS GAINING POPULARITY!

Alarming reports about American foods gaining ground in China are worrying health experts concerned about this shift in consumer habit that may have far reaching implications. One of the reasons cited is the relative affluence of the Chinese citizens who can afford to buy foods offered by many American companies and the relative ambiance of the serving environment. But more than this another important factor, missed out by many observers is the role played by the basic Chinese psyche that considers "trust" as the most important value in life and series of episodes involving local manufacturers who compromised on quality of ingredients in preparing domestic products have alienated many in that country. One of the most startling cases was that of Melanine tainted milk powder manufactured from adulterated milk by some dairies causing immense damage to thousands of children, some of them succumbing to the product due to kidney failure. As Americans have a reputation of maintaining high quality in their manufactured food products, average Chinese citizen seems to be trusting the products made by them, though health-wise these products can also contribute to long term health disorders like obesity. How far this trust will continue is uncertain as in the US also massive product recalls are the order of the day because contamination problems.

"Misrepresentation of product safety can be costly because the Chinese have become unforgiving when it comes to health. A mere allegation is enough for businesses to lose customers, see their bottom lines hit and their share prices decimated. Few issues bring out such vitriolic reaction among the public as product safety. Parents are extremely concerned that their children could be poisoned by tainted milk. A few months ago, the government shut fifty percent of the country's dairies because they failed to live up to quality control standards. But far more needs to be done. Rather than just shutting poor quality food production areas, the government needs to mete out extremely harsh punishments for any food quality problems, going as far as shutting down businesses, even large ones, and jailing unscrupulous executives. The government, after all, regularly sentences officials and businessmen to decades-long prison terms for corruption and other financial crimes".

China is known to make products with uncertain quality in almost all sectors to compromise on prices and if it has accumulated a foreign exchange bounty of $ 3 trillion, the main reason is the low cost of their products, most of them far cheaper than those made by other countries. Probably same may be true in food also and it is logical that the food industry also suffers due to negligence of quality and safety of its products. History is replete with instances when the lost consumer confidence is difficult to be reclaimed and even if that happens it would take a long time. Unless safety violators are severely punished to be a deterrent to other potential future defaulters, the image of Chinese food industry will continue to suffer. .

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com