Safe for Consumption

By Nardone, Ralph

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is cracking down on food shipments from China due to “tainted Chinese dietary supplements, toxic Chinese cosmetics, and counterfeit Chinese medicines,” says Tony Ceballos, director of the Philadelphia U.S. Export Assistance Center, a bureau under the U.S. Department of Commerce.

This crackdown encompasses a wide array of consumer food products such as seafood, red meat, dairy, vegetables, nuts, cereals, and so forth.

According to Ceballos, 80 percent of all seafood is imported from China. Some food industry experts warn that the FDA’s detaining of Chinese food ingredients by border inspectors will likely cause delays in the delivery of raw ingredients used in the production of many common products.

As consumers become increasingly skeptical, businesses must realize the importance of the FDA’s efforts, Ceballos said. “Businesses will suffer far worse if demand decreases as a result of speculation or belief of tainted foods from China,” he adds.

Local food manufacturers say they are relatively unaffected by the crackdown.

“At Mission Foods, quality and product safety is our top priority.

When sourcing ingredients for all of our products, particularly from inter national suppliers, we impose the strictest safety processes to ensure that we deliver safe and high-quality products to our customers and consumers. Mission Foods is working very closely with our suppliers to source only the purest ingredients from companies and countries that meet our high standards to protect and safeguard our full line of quality tortilla products,” says David Garrett, vice president, marketing for Mission Foods in Wilkes- Barre.

Steve Diacont, senior human resources director for Wise Foods in Berwick, Columbia County, points out that the firm’s mainstay products are made from corn, oil and potatoes – which are all grown in the United States. There is no reason to obtain those products from overseas, he adds.

“We do not purchase any ingredients directly from China into the plant in Berwick, he says.

However he says there are “other seasoning ingredients that are sourced from U.S.-based companies that may contain ingredients from China – we do not specify or limit the locations (from whence) our suppliers may source ingredients.”

Franklin Furman, vice president of quality for Furman Foods in Northumberland, says his company “seeks to use domestically sourced ingredients as much as possible,” although he was unable to state definitively that no Chinese food products or seasonings are used in food production.

Annette Knapp, manager of legislative research for the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association points out that two state representatives recently sponsored bills banning imports of all wheat gluten products from China until the Chinese “fully cooperate” with FDA plant inspections.

State Representatives Mark Cohen and Babette Josephs, both Democrats from Philadelphia, spearheaded the bills. Josephs says evidence exists that Chinese products range from “low quality to toxic.”

Rep. Josephs says the recent FDA efforts are a good thing for consumers. If the Chinese want to continue to benefit from making products for the U.S., they will have to establish that their products are safe or face significant lost business.

“The Chinese are like everybody else – they respond to the bottom line,” Josephs says. She reminds consmers it is important to read the label on their food products. Josephs also lays some burden for food safety on the shoulders of importing food companies seeking to reduce costs by purchasing less expensive food products from China. She does not believe those who say they are taking steps to ensure their products are totally safe. Her incredulity stems from mounting evidence that is surfacing that this is not happening, she says.

She says ultimately food prices may climb because of increased costs for domestic manufacturers, but when compared to ensuring public health, the cost is justified, she says.

James Chan, Ph.D., president of Asia Marketing and Management, a company specializing in China trade based in Philadelphia, agrees with Josephs’ point that much of the responsibility lies with the management of importing companies. Many U.S. food companies have branch offices in China for purchasing food products.

Chan estimates that 20 percent of all food consumed in the U.S. is imported from China.

Chan also says the Chinese claim that 99 percent of all food products are safe. Chinese officials downplayed the concerns of imported food products, saying the situation has not reached a serious stage where human foods are at risk.

“Generally speaking, American consumers should not worry too much,” Luo Yunbo, head of China’s food science institute was quoted.

Chan warns, however, that whenever the U.S. halts Chinese imports, the Chinese threaten some type of retribution. According to research provided by Ceballos, the FDA and China do not have a binding agreement on foods and drugs with respect to safety regulations or food production facility inspection.

“Significant work remains to address deceptive labeling, unsanitary conditions, and the intentional contamination of food products that have become commonplace in China,” according to the FDA.

Dr. David Acheson, the FDA’s assistant commissioner for food protection, says the U.S. will accept entries of products from Chinese firms that “demonstrate compliance with our requirements and safety standards.”

In an August report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture titled, “The China Food and Agriculture Import Regulations and Standards, the Standardization Administration of China announced plans to revise up to 4,000 food safety standards, particularly in the areas of food additives, dairy, meat, eggs, and fisheries.

Copyright Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal Oct 2007

(c) 2007 Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.