Opinion | Without better food safety, China’s health agenda is a lost cause
For years, my friend Viola and I have been regularly exchanging healthy recipes. Whenever one of us discovers new health-related literature, such as the recent book Survive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Dr. Peter Attia, or new science on longevity or some healthy ingredients in the supermarket, we say it immediately.
We have learned that replacing foods high in saturated fats, such as bacon, with salmon, or replacing saturated fats such as lard with olive oil, reduces the risk of heart attack and premature death. I believe that meat consumption should be less than 200g per day, while vegetables can be up to 500g, but we should also eat fish at least twice a week. Sweets and refined flour should be consumed in moderation, in small, controlled portions. Sometimes, when I cook, I use measured amounts of oil and salt to limit my consumption.
The scandal was devastating. Suddenly, we felt like our healthy lifestyle habits were a joke. No matter how carefully we plan our meals, watch our calories, try to eliminate risks, what can we do if fuel is mixed into our cooking oil without our knowledge?
01:15
China launches high-level investigation after report says tanker trucks were carrying cooking oil
China launches high-level investigation after report says tanker trucks were carrying cooking oil
But it is too late to react to food scandals once they have been revealed by the media, and the public cannot always afford to wait. The government must strengthen its food safety regulations and controls to prevent such scandals.
Under China’s Food Sanitation Law, a violator can be fined up to 50,000 yuan ($6,890) or have their license revoked. This punishment is not harsh enough. Food producers and sellers can be prosecuted criminally, but this usually only happens after consumers have suffered serious harm, as in the 2008 child melamine poisoning case.
03:54
How Feihe Survived the 2008 Tainted Milk Scandal and Became China’s Largest Baby Formula Company
How Feihe Survived the 2008 Tainted Milk Scandal and Became China’s Largest Baby Formula Company
Food production needs to be monitored more closely and there needs to be more rigorous checks before products are put on the market – and government control offices need to be punished when scandals emerge.
In the formula scandal, several officials who were punished for their negligence reportedly returned to power a few years later. This is discouraging for public opinion and suggests that some authorities still do not take food safety seriously enough. Punishing officials involved in food safety scandals in the same way as those involved in corruption cases could strengthen consumer confidence.
It is simply too difficult for ordinary citizens to be wary of health risks. It is impossible to monitor the many links in the food chain, from production to sale. Believe me, I have tried. The government and big business must take more action if they are to regain consumer trust.
Phoebe Zhang is a society reporter at The Post.
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