🚀 go-pugleaf

On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 09:52:23 +0100, ALERT <ALERT@RED.ALERT> wrote:

>Personally, I instituted my own boycott years ago. Only suckers believed
>the eletist/establishment crap that globalisation and off-shoring was the
>future. It has only led to mass unemployment and social unrest. Now we
>have this to contend with also.  
>

Sadly China seems to have it's fingers in every pie out there these
days, even the big Jap companies are outsourcing there.

Beats me why we'd trust the world to the Chinese Big Bear, but we'll
certainly be paying for it in the not too distant future. They care
little for themselves, so why would they worry about the rest of us!

I try to boycott were possible.


Are Chinese Products 
Slowly Killing Us?
From Patricia Doyle, PhD
8-25-7

Hello Jeff - The product list below is not a complete list, it is only
the tip of the iceberg. Let us not forget the faulty electric
blankets, coffee pots, lead-painted toys, easy bake oven with fire
hazard, dyes that contain toxic chemicals, toxic cellophane tape
dispensers and many, many other products. 
  
I worry about the deadly products that are on our store shelves and
have not yet been identified as faulty. 
  
Patty 
  
  
Are Chinese Products Slowly Killing Us? 
  
I commend the industriousness of the Chinese because that has made
Chinese goods and services available around the world. Globally, China
has become an economic power because it has succeeded in capturing the
world market with its products. The Chinese reached such an economic
power position through hard work, not through luck. In Ghana, almost
every item on the market is "Made in China." Though it is an issue to
worry about, this article is not about the fact that importing goods
deprives Ghanaians existing and future jobs. It is about whether
imported Chinese goods are slowly killing Ghanaians. I'll leave that
to the reader to decide. Here, let's consider the record of some
Chinese-made products... 
  
  
2004 
  
  
In June 2004, Chinese authorities issued an emergency recall of a
brand of milk powder after it sickened more than 150 schoolchildren.
Children at three kindergartens in the southern province of Guizhou
suffered vomiting, diarrhea and fever after drinking milk made from
the powder, which contained staphylococcus bacteria. The product in
question is Shanhua-brand milk powder produced by the Guiyang Sanlian
Milk Company. 
  
November 2004, a New York City company recalled two Chinese herbal
supplements because they contained a carcinogen linked to kidney
disease. Kingsway Trading Inc. of Brooklyn recalled its dietary pills,
Double Deers Formula brand Expellin Extract (Concentrated) and
Cardioflex. The company said it stopped distribution of these products
when it was notified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that
they contained aristolochic acid, a carcinogen and toxin found in
plants that is associated with some cases of kidney failure and an
increased risk of kidney cancer. 
  
Then in December 2004, Starway Incorporated of U.S.A. recalled Red
Diamond brand Dried Chinese Vegetable because the product contained
undeclared sulfites. People who have severe sensitivity to sulfites
run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they
consume this product. Also in December, the FDA seized ginseng
imported from China because of dangerous residues of pesticides. 
  
2005 
  
In June 2005, the Food and Drug Administration placed restrictions on
imports of Chinese shrimp, catfish, eel, basa and dace after finding
residues of drugs the FDA does not allow in fish. 
  
Then in December, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
announced a voluntary recall of about 144,000 plastic siren whistles
manufactured in China. According to American authorities, the internal
pieces of the recalled plastic siren whistle easily detached from the
toy and posed a choking hazard to children. This was after the
importer and distributor of the product received four reports of
children choking and three reports of children swallowing pieces of
the plastic siren whistle. 
  
Again, in December 2005, Dell Computers recalled made-in-China
batteries installed in about 22,000 notebook computers in the United
States. The batteries were found to overheat, and posed fire risk. The
recalled batteries were sold with the following Dell notebook
computers: Latitude D410, D505, D510, D600, D610, D800, D810; Inspiron
510M, 600M, 6000, 8600, 9200, 9300, XPS Gen 2; and Dell Precision M20
and M70 mobile workstations. 
  
2006 
  
Following the death of a girl in 2006, the Chinese government ordered
a Chinese antibiotic manufacturer to recall its injectable antibiotic
(clindamycin phosphate glucose). This was after it was discovered that
it was the cause of death of a 6-year-old girl, and had caused over
three dozen serious reactions in patients that received it. According
to the Chinese authorities, the 6-year-old girl was given the
antibiotic to treat a cold but she developed a fever, lapsed into a
coma and died three days later. 
  
In July 2006, Lexar Media Inc. of the U.S. recalled certain flash
memory drives made in China because they could overheat and burn users
or cause property damage. In a joint statement with the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission, Lexar said consumers should stop using the
affected products immediately and to contact Lexar for a free
replacement. The recall involved about 66,000 devices from Lexar's
Jump Drive Fire Fly family of flash drives, and the metallic silver
colored 1GB Jump Drive Secure II. 
  
December 2006. Chinese authorities uncovered at least 180 Chinese
factories that were using industrial chemicals in food production. 
  
In Panama, at least 100 people died after taking cough syrup which
contained diethylene glycol rather than the glycerine, which was
supposed to have been used instead. 
  
2007 
  
In March this year, many cats and dogs in the U.S. got sick after
eating tainted pet food imported from China. The pet food products
were found to contain Chinese wheat flour spiked with the chemical
melamine to appear like expensive, and higher in protein. 
  
In June, a Florida (USA) company issued a nationwide recall for
toothpaste imported from China. The roughly 170,000 recalled
toothpaste products had the contaminant diethylene glycol � a
poisonous solvent used in antifreeze. The brands in question were Shir
Fresh Mint Flouride, Shir Fresh Ice, Shir Mint Flouride and Shir Fresh
Cool. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified many other
Chinese-made toothpastes that were declared dangerous. Apart from the
United States, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Panama and several other
Latin American and Caribbean countries have taken Chinese-made
toothpaste off the shelves for containing diethylene glycol. 
  
Also in June, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission as well as
the Food and Drug Administration noted that toys, makeup, glazed
pottery and other products imported from China contained significant
amounts of lead. Lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities,
kidney failure, anemia and irreversible brain damage in children.
Because of lead contamination, the Consumer Product Safety Commission
recalled several children's items and/or toys all imported from China.
In addition, children's gardening gloves imported from China were
found to have a stamp-painted logo on the backside containing high
levels of lead. Children's turquoise rings imported from China were
also found to have high lead levels. These were not all; about 200,000
children's necklaces, bracelets and rings imported from China were
found to contain high lead levels. And about 5,000 bamboo game sets
called "Anima" were found to contain lead paint. 
  
Again in June this year, Chinese officials admitted that formaldehyde,
illegal dyes and industrial wax were used to make candy, pickles,
crackers and seafood. This was followed by a warning from the FDA
about eye shadow imported from China. Called "kohl," it is used to
create black lines around the eyes. Not only has the makeup been found
to contain high lead levels, eight brands of Chinese kohl were halted
by the FDA because of microbiological contamination. In addition, the
Center for Disease Control and Prevention found bacterial parasites in
contact lens solution imported from China. At least 21 people
developed eye conditions as a result of using Complete Moisture Plus,
the contact lens solution. 
  
And the list goes on. One thousand and two hundred (1,200) Raleigh
Cadent bicycles with carbonage carbon forks, manufactured in China
were also pulled off the market in 2007. This is because the forks
broke during use, causing the rider to lose control, fall and suffer
injuries. By the time of recall, Raleigh America had received three
reports of forks breaking, resulting in injuries, including a
dislocated shoulder, a concussion and a broken jaw. The recall
included the 2007 Raleigh Cadent 1.0, Cadent 2.0 and Cadent Carbon
bicycle models with carbon forks. 
  
Again, this year, 450,000 tires made in China have been pulled off the
American market because the tires were missing safety features that
keep the tire tread from separating. 
  
Frozen fish imported from China into the United States was labeled
monkfish but it was pufferfish that contained tetrodotoxin. Eating
foods containing tetrodotoxin can result in life-threatening illness
or death and the toxin cannot be destroyed by cooking or freezing. 
  
It appears contamination associated with Chinese products gets worse
yearly. It therefore means that we should be very careful about the
products we import from China. Since there are many made-in-China
products in Ghana, and since Ghana has never recalled or removed any
China-made products from the market, does it mean the Chinese love us
so much so that they send only first class non-contaminated products
to Ghana? Or does it mean that the Ghana Standards Board, the
regulatory body, is not doing its work? Or does it mean that Chinese
products are slowly killing us? 
  
On August 10 this year, the Ghana Standards Board, launched its 40th
anniversary celebration at a colorful ceremony at the Board's
premises. The theme for the celebration was "GSB @40 Setting the Pace
for Standards and Quality." Is this public body really ensuring
standards? Or is it one of the many lame ducks in our midst? By the
way, who should protect the average Ghanaian against unwholesome
products � the government, GSB, the Ghanaian importer, or the average
Ghanaian themselves? 
  
In conclusion, I have to mention that Chinese officials have moved to
show they are taking the concerns seriously. Recently, China executed
a former drug and food safety chief for corruption. In recent weeks,
China announced that it had closed down 180 food manufacturers that
were found to have used industrial chemicals and additives in their
products. However, personally, I don't think the Chinese government is
doing enough to stop polluting the world with contaminated products.
Therefore, WE HAVE TO PROTECT OURSELVES! 
  
Dr. Kwaku Obosu-Mensah 
Associate Professor of Sociology, Lorain County Community College, USA
  
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=129259
  
  
Patricia A. Doyle DVM, PhD 
Bus Admin, Tropical Agricultural Economics 
Univ of West Indies 
  
Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message board at: 
http://www.emergingdisease.org/phpbb/index.php 
Also my new website: 
http://drpdoyle.tripod.com/ 
Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa 
Go with God and in Good Health