Noon International: Food Trading Import Export

Another China melamine scare.

China fake powdered milk, which thus far 1 infant has died from and with over 400 cases of infants reported suffering from kidney problems from the milk, appears to be contaminated with melamine the same chemical that was found in the Menu Foods pet food last year, according to China authorities.

Sanlu Group the largest supplier of powdered milk received complaints last March but failed to report it to the proper authorities. Another China supplier cover up.

China authorities have reported that 19 people have been detained in the fake powdered milk containing melamine since the investigation started.

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China Xinhua news has reported another possible “fake milk powder” incident. Infants from over 7 provinces have been suffering from kidney stones after drinking a powdered milk formula (Sanlu brand). In one hospital in Gansu province, thus far, 14 possible baby infant victims from the fake milk have been reported as suffering from kidney stones. There have been similar reporting in other provinces as well (Jiangsu, Shandong, Hunan, Anhui, NIngxia and Shaanxi).

The scare has rekindled fears from the last incident in 2004 when 13 babies in Anhui province died after drinking the fake milk powder which was found to contain no nutritional value.

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The China State Council has approved the implementation of the Ministry of Health to take over all the duties of the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), the South China Morning Post reported on Monday. The Ministry of Health will now become the sole supervisor for food, public health and pharmaceuticals.

The move supposedly is to bolster safety and eliminate corruption and bribery (former head of SFDA Zheng XiaoYu was executed last July 2007 for taking bribes).

It is not clear at this time what implications, if any, this will have on Chinese exporters of frozen foods. Will the MOH have the staff to monitor and regulate food safety? Will it lead to more corruption? Time will tell.

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Workers sorting and weighing individual items for mixed vegetables.

Looking down the human assembly line.

Mixed vegetables prior to being inserted into finished polybag.

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The Plot Thickens

Chinese authorities have admitted that 4 people have suffered food poisoning from China made gyoza with similar symptoms to those poisoned earlier this year in Japan from China made gyoza.

Click here to read the article.

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China Men’s Washroom - ChangAn reststop between Shanghai and Hangzhou

While driving from Shanghai to Hangzhou we made a pit stop at ChangAn to relieve ourselves. The photos below are from the men’s washroom. I was blown away by the urinal (trough). As you can see by the photos it was is encased in glass with artificial trees and waterfall.

(Click photos to get enlarged view.)

Wow, isn’t this beautiful and serene??

Bird’s eye view of the stainless steal trough. Water flowing down the glass enjoying the waterfall and smelling the roses!!

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China soybeans (Edamame) from Zhejiang province have been severely damaged by close to 25 days of rain. As a result many of the soy pods have no kernals and those that do have kernals are smaller than normal. The outer skin is blemished more so then normal because of the rains which makes them of little value for the primary market of Edamame for Japan. Some of the pods have an off odor from the excess of rains. The yields from the raw material are running around 45% vs the normal of 65%. As a result of the reduced yields all the packers are bidding on a smaller quantity of raw material driving the price up. As a result of the higher price for the Edamame it is also having a negative impact on the shelled soybeans or Mukimame. Mukimame is the primary import to the USA because of its lower cost point and this item being a by-product of the Edamame.

Little relief is expected in pricing because Fujian province, the other major producer, also experienced a 50% shortfall for the summer crop. Prices are expected to remain firm until autumn crop.

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The United States and China are making progress on cooperation on food and feed import safety, according to a joint update by both nations following economic talks in Annapolis, Md., last week.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine have set up designated points of contact, emergency contacts, thresholds for notification, enhanced information exchange and studied each other’s regulatory system to better react to health dangers in Chinese supplied food products.

Last December, the two agencies signed a memorandum of understanding to provide greater information and quality assurances to improve the safety of food traded between the two countries.

Work is continuing on development of a system under which AQSIQ will electronically certify to FDA that specific products sent for export to the United States meet FDA standards for safety and manufacturing quality.

The FDA has also agreed to train Chinese officials on U.S. regulatory standards and requirements.

The governments have also agreed to share information to assist investigations of fraud or deception by food suppliers.

contributed by Alan Davis, adavis@sspllc.com

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