SHENZHEN, China, Jan 25, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE)
-- AsiaInspection, a leading provider of quality control services for
businesses importing from Asia, today announces the AsiaInspection 2011 Q4
Barometer, a quarterly synopsis of Asia-based manufacturing and the quality
control services industry.
Inspection
Failure Rates Show China Food Danger Critical
AsiaInspection figures show in 2011 51% of
food inspections conducted in Mainland China failed. While the majority of
these inspections were failed because of minor defects, 10% were for critical
defects with an extreme case involving contamination by a large quantity of
rodent fecal matter. The fact that over half of all Chinese food inspections
fail is even more alarming when compared to an average failure rate for
non-food products of about 30%.
Evidence of this overwhelming deficit in food
safety is supported by government figures. According to China's State
Administration for Industry and Commerce, in 2011 62,000 illegal food cases
were reported. Additionally, authorities stopped the operation of 43,000
unlicensed food-producing businesses found to be operating illegally and
revoked the business licenses of 576 operators during the same period.
Food
Packaging Problems Pose Equal Risk
Food safety is not limited to only the food
itself. Food packaging, with a 2011 inspection failure rate of 57% is just as
critical. "Food packaging defects may not seem critical," says
Sebastien Breteau, CEO of AsiaInspection. "But by the time food leaves the
factory and hits store shelves, toxic amounts of contaminants like formaldehyde
and lead can leech out of packaging, contaminate food and cause serious harm to
consumers."
According to FERA, the United Kingdom's
governing food and environment agency, common chemical contaminants like the
infamous melamine often come from food cans and lids or from plastic food
containers. Melamine -- responsible for the infamous 2008 Sanlu milk scandal
sickening over 300,000 -- has been found at high levels in canned dog food
shipments as recently as January 2011.
Chemical
Contaminants Commonplace in China's Food Factories
Chinese milk is back in the news as well, as
this December China's largest dairy company, Mengniu, destroyed a batch of milk
contaminated with Aflatoxin, a substance commonly found in mildewed animal feed
that can cause liver cancer. The chemical was found during a random spot check
by the Chinese governing body AQSIQ. Only 10% of the batches contained the
deadly chemical, meaning it was only by a slim chance that a random spot check
found the defect before the product reached consumers.
Like melamine, other chemicals that are banned
by the Chinese government due to deadly effects are still routinely found in
shipments of food products. According to Food and Water Watch, one such
substance, clembuterol -- which is toxic to humans -- is administered to
animals to give them leaner meat and pinker skin.
"China exported over 4.5 billion tons of
food in 2011 alone," says Mr. Antoine Bloch, Asia Pacific Vice President
of Silliker -- a partner of AsiaFoodInspection with AsiaInspection. "With
chemical and natural contaminants threatening food available to all of us, the
need for prevention in the form of comprehensive laboratory testing has never
been clearer."
About AsiaInspection - Your Eyes in the Factory!(TM)
AsiaInspection is a leading quality control
services provider for importers from Asia, providing web-based account
management, fast scheduling and highly competitive prices for companies seeking
Product Inspection, Factory Audit and Laboratory Testing services in Asia.
AsiaInspection serves clients from over 100 countries worldwide. Learn more at
www.AsiaInspection.com .
SOURCE: AsiaInspection
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