Don't drink that milk or eat that chocolate!
"Mummy, can I buy this chocolate?"
"No, boy. It is not safe. It could contain milk from China!"
Yes, it has reached that stage...where consumers are fearful of any dairy products, those containing milk, because that product could contain milk from China. Once again, China has made it into the headlines. Yet this time, it is not about the grand performance put up for the Beijing Olympics. It is about one of the biggest scandals of all times. Melamine-tainted milk, which caused the deaths of toddlers and hospitalisation of thousands of children, represented a most socially-irresponsible cover-up and a insidious example of economic profit at the risk of human lives.
Melamine was used to boost protein levels of milk in China as profit-making had prompted manufacturers to dilute milk with water and adding melamine would ensure that the diluted milk would pass protein tests. However, this move proved to be detrimental in the long run, as China milk manufacturers now faced a crisis, of global proportions as countries around the world recalled Chinese milk products and imposed bans on China-imported milk products. This milk scandal has led to people questioning the source of milk products and induced fear in the general public in consuming any dairy products. Snack such as chocolate, ice-cream, biscuits and yoghurt are some of the food that contained milk and been recalled once it has been tested positive for melamine.
Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has taken steps to address this issue of negligence and cover-up in food contaminants by "setting up a 'forensics unit' to proactively manage, and hopefully pre-empt, future food-safety issues...by boosting its 'ground intelligence', and searching out possible sources of risk." (extracted from Today,Oct 2,2008) Such a step is commendable as measures are being taken to ensure that such cases would not happen so easily in future.
It is indeed saddening and disgusting to learn about such disregard for human lives.
"No, boy. It is not safe. It could contain milk from China!"
Yes, it has reached that stage...where consumers are fearful of any dairy products, those containing milk, because that product could contain milk from China. Once again, China has made it into the headlines. Yet this time, it is not about the grand performance put up for the Beijing Olympics. It is about one of the biggest scandals of all times. Melamine-tainted milk, which caused the deaths of toddlers and hospitalisation of thousands of children, represented a most socially-irresponsible cover-up and a insidious example of economic profit at the risk of human lives.
Melamine was used to boost protein levels of milk in China as profit-making had prompted manufacturers to dilute milk with water and adding melamine would ensure that the diluted milk would pass protein tests. However, this move proved to be detrimental in the long run, as China milk manufacturers now faced a crisis, of global proportions as countries around the world recalled Chinese milk products and imposed bans on China-imported milk products. This milk scandal has led to people questioning the source of milk products and induced fear in the general public in consuming any dairy products. Snack such as chocolate, ice-cream, biscuits and yoghurt are some of the food that contained milk and been recalled once it has been tested positive for melamine.
Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has taken steps to address this issue of negligence and cover-up in food contaminants by "setting up a 'forensics unit' to proactively manage, and hopefully pre-empt, future food-safety issues...by boosting its 'ground intelligence', and searching out possible sources of risk." (extracted from Today,Oct 2,2008) Such a step is commendable as measures are being taken to ensure that such cases would not happen so easily in future.
It is indeed saddening and disgusting to learn about such disregard for human lives.
Labelled by Quaintness at
15:38
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home