February 11, 2009 4:38 PM

China Closes 180 Food Factories

(CBS/AP)  China has closed 180 food factories after inspectors found industrial chemicals being used in products from candy to seafood, state media said Wednesday.

The closures came amid a nationwide crackdown on shoddy and dangerous products launched in December that also uncovered use of recycled or expired food, the China Daily said.

Formaldehyde, illegal dyes and industrial wax were found being used to make candy, pickles, crackers and seafood, it said, citing Han Yi, an official with the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, which is responsible for food safety.

"These are not isolated cases," Han, director of the administration's quality control and inspection department, was quoted as saying.

Han's admission was significant because the administration has said in the past that safety violations were the work of a few rogue operators, a claim that is likely part of a strategy to protect China's billions of dollars of food exports.

In some parts of China, rich factory owners can often keep even official prying eyes out - often by buying them off, reports CBS News correspondent Barry Petersen.

International concerns over China's food safety problems ballooned this year after high levels of toxins and industrial chemicals were found in exported products.

Chinese-made toothpaste has been rejected by several countries in North and South America and Asia, while Chinese wheat gluten tainted with the chemical melamine was blamed for dog and cat deaths in North America. Other products turned away by U.S. inspectors include toxic monkfish, frozen eel and juice made with unsafe color additives.

Authorities in China have pushed for more stringent controls and increased publicity of their efforts to control the problem.

To avoid more problems, there is a new five-year plan from the country that grows half the world's vegetables. They plan on increasing inspections of exports, creating a faster recall system for bad products and blacklisting companies caught violating the new rules, reports Petersen.

Han said most of the offending manufacturers were small, unlicensed food plants with fewer than 10 employees, and all had been shut down. China Daily said 75 percent of China's estimated 1 million food processing plants are small and privately owned.

According to Han, the ongoing inspections are focusing on commonly consumed food such as meat, milk, beverages, soy sauce and cooking oil. Rural areas and the suburbs; where standards are likely less strict; are still considered key areas for inspectors, he said.

Meanwhile, another regulating agency, China's State Administration for Industry and Commerce, said it closed 152,000 unlicensed food manufacturers and retailers last year for making fake and low-quality products.

© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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by Free Citizen June 30, 2007 8:32 AM EDT
gkc99 : "They're not the only traitors here though--many US based industry groups, including Congressionally chartered organizations like the American Chemical Society have supported policies that have facilitated the giveaway, bringing millions of Asians to the US on H1B visas, to train them to take these industries back to their own countries"

My understanding is that local environmental laws have made it unprofitable for these chemical industires to operate locally. Whereas, the emerging economies with their very lax DOE laws are more than willing to do the dirty job for these chemical concerns. It is not so much about selling out but more about profits and greed. Unfortunately, there is no law against greed.
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by Free Citizen June 30, 2007 8:24 AM EDT
NSKDuke says, "Stop buying products that are made in China and stop shopping at Wal-Mart. We don't need any more problems in this country."

Hate to burst your bubble but made in China products isn't the problem. The real problem is complacency and the resulting uncompetitiveness on your own part. But do not despair, the Chinese labour will not remain cheap forever just as Japanese labout ceased to be so almost half a century ago. Yet, most of your compatriots and probably you yourself drive a Toyota rather than a Buick.
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by Free Citizen June 30, 2007 8:18 AM EDT
tmittelstaed, good question. The Chinese learn fast just as the Japanese did a century earlier. It won't be long before they acquire the skill to do designing work as well. But there is one skill they will never be able to excel their western counterpart. That is to design something that is aesthetically appealing to the buying masses. Something the Japanese have never been able to master and neither will the Chinese. Nevertheless, they can hire Westeners to do the job.
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by Free Citizen June 30, 2007 8:05 AM EDT
erasmus6 says, "Pull the troops out of Iraq and send them to China."

Why and what for?
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by Free Citizen June 30, 2007 8:01 AM EDT
rushlimpdrug says; "Don't worry though China is our friend. They are on the track to be a democracy, right?"

If your definition of a democracy means multi-party politics then, China isn't it. But it means what the dictionary says it means, Government by the people, then China definitely is it. If you look at the CIA factbook, suffrage is universal in China and anyone 18 and above may vote for whomever they think will best represent them in government.
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by Free Citizen June 30, 2007 7:51 AM EDT
NSKDuke, why is fueling communist economy bad?!
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by erasmus6 June 28, 2007 8:55 PM EDT
Pull the troops out of Iraq and send them to China.
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by asor1-2009 June 28, 2007 6:53 PM EDT
Avoid Walmart/Costco/DollarGeneral/etc... at all cost.
Spend more, but buy American!
Be proud.
This could be the only salvation for our country.
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by nskduke June 28, 2007 4:43 PM EDT
If I remember it right, China is still a communist country. When we buy merchandise from China, we are actually fueling their communist economy. Which is bad.
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by rushlimpdrug June 28, 2007 1:04 PM EDT
Last year the grandparents bought a bicycle for one of the kids from Costco. Of course, it was made in China and of course it didn't cost a lot. But you know something? That bike has lasted. . . . . the construction is top notch. All the welds were picture perfect, everything is aligned, and it's a very intelligent design.
. . . . . . . That is what the US workers need to be worrying about.
Posted by tmittelstaed

The Chineeze know bicycles. That has been their mode of transportation for decades-remember?
Your kids will grow up and worry about the lack of this country producing anything of value.
They are the ones that will look back and wonder why their grandparents supported outsourcing while the parents bragged about it.
Don't worry though China is our friend.
They are on the track to be a democracy, right?
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