How to Protect Yourself amid 'Made-In-China' Scare

BEIJING — The scare began earlier this year when pet food killed dogs and cats. Then the U.S. government issued warnings about a poisonous chemical in toothpaste, lead paint on toys, car tires missing a key safety feature and fish contaminated with unapproved drugs.

As China's exports to the United States have surged — almost tripling between 2001 and 2006 — so have the problems. Throughout the spring and summer, the Food and Drug Administration has blocked and recalled imports of Chinese products for many reasons.

Meanwhile, Beijing has stepped up a campaign to improve both the quality and image of made-in-China goods.

In a national mobilization reminiscent of campaigns undertaken by former Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong, Beijing in late August announced 20 targets to be met by the end of the year.

The goals include ensuring that all food producers are licensed, all pigs are slaughtered at approved locations and "all raw material bases for export products be inspected," the China Daily newspaper reported.

Beijing also banned the use of five pesticides, including methamidophos, a highly toxic chemical that is restricted in the United States, the sale of poultry that have died of disease and the addition of "harmful additives" to food.

What steps should you take to protect yourself and your family?

FOOD

In June, the FDA refused 146 shipments from China, the most of any country. Stopped shipments included frozen eel containing an unsafe veterinary drug, wolfberries adulterated with illegal pesticides and dog treats tainted with salmonella, a potentially lethal bacteria.

The agency also placed restrictions on imports of five kinds of seafood imported from China — shrimp, catfish, eel, basa and dace — after finding residues of potentially dangerous antibiotic drugs.

Problems are likely to increase as more food is exported from China, said Zhou Qing, a Chinese food safety expert who has documented problems in China including pigs fed poisonous chemicals, seafood fattened on birth-control pills (which are free in parts of China) and soy sauce containing human hair.

China's agricultural exports to the United States reached $2.26 billion in 2006, up from $453 million in 1993, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Sales of seafood have also surged and China now accounts for 21 percent of seafood imported to the United States.

How Concerned Should You Be?

"Considering the many food safety issues in China ... and the apparent insufficiency in the regulatory oversight to verify the safety of foods, consumers should be concerned" both about whole foods imported from China and processed foods containing ingredients from China, said Michael Doyle, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia.

What Can You Do?

Good kitchen hygiene, including cooking food thoroughly, avoiding contamination between cooked and uncooked foods and refrigerating perishable foods can significantly reduce the risk of poisoning from bacteria including salmonella, Doyle said.

But because consumers cannot reduce risks from chemical additives, he suggested looking for country-of-origin labels at supermarkets and avoiding Chinese-made food "until China can resolve these issues."

PHARMACEUTICALS AND TOOTHPASTE

China became the world's top source of counterfeit drugs in 2004, a U.S. government commission told Congress last year.

Beijing announced last month that it had closed illegal factories producing counterfeit Tamiflu and anti-malarial drugs. Some of the medications had been sold over the Internet in the United States, China's Ministry of Public Security said in a statement.

Several brands of Chinese-made toothpaste have been found to contain diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical that can damage the kidneys and liver.

How Concerned Should You Be?

While sales of counterfeit drugs have been relatively rare in the United States, the practice has increased in recent years, according to the FDA. In May, the FDA warned consumers not to buy prescription drugs over the Internet.

The FDA was not aware of any U.S. cases of poisoning from toothpaste containing diethylene glycol. The FDA said in June that "no major brands of toothpaste" had been found to contain diethylene glycol.

What Can You Do?

The FDA recommends consumers buy drugs only from state-licensed pharmacies. To check if a pharmacy is licensed, contact your local state board of pharmacy or the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy at http://www.nabp.net.

If you notice the shape, color, texture or taste of a medicine is abnormal, ask your pharmacist.

More information is available at www.fda.gov.

Consumers should throw away any toothpaste labeled as made in China, the FDA said. A full list of recalled toothpaste brands is available on the FDA's Web site.

TOYS

More than 70 percent of toys sold in the United States are made in China, according to the Toy Industry Association, which represents most American toy companies and importers,

But because China's supply chain is fragmented and dealers sometimes substitute parts and paints to cut costs, U.S. importers and companies have difficulty controlling quality.

American toy manufacturers have issued a string of recent recalls. Mattel, the world's largest toy company, said on Aug. 15 that it was recalling 436,000 Chinese-made die-cast toy cars depicting the character Sarge from the animated film "Cars" because they are covered with lead paint, which can cause long-term neurological problems if eaten. Ohio importer Martin Designs Inc. recalled some 250,000 SpongeBob SquarePants address books and journals manufactured in China because their bindings might contain hazardous levels of lead, the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission said in August.

In July, Mattel recalled toys based on "Sesame Street" and "Dora the Explorer" characters because of lead paint.

How Concerned Should You Be?

The U.S. government requires that products children might contact contain very low levels of lead since children may eat paint chips or inhale dust from paint chips. Lead poisoning in children is associated with behavioral problems, learning disabilities and growth retardation.

What Can You Do?

The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission advises parents to get rid of recalled products. A list of recalled products is available on the agency's Web site, www.cpsc.gov. Consumers can sign up for new recall notifications at www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.

PET FOOD

An unknown number of cats and dogs have been made sick or died after eating pet food tainted with a Chinese-made additive containing melamine, an industrial chemical. The FDA issued a recall for dozens of pet food brands in March.

On Aug. 21, Wal-Mart said it had stopped selling two kinds of dog treats because of melamine contamination. A Wal-Mart spokesperson said other companies were still selling the foods, the Associated Press reported.

How Concerned Should You Be?

Less than 1 percent of all pet food was contaminated, according to the FDA. It is unlikely any of the food covered in the March recall is still being sold, said Marion Nestle, a nutrition professor at New York University who is writing a book about pet food. Estimates of how many animals died after eating melamine-contaminated pet food range from "under 20 to more than 20,000" because investigating the cause of death is difficult, Nestle said.

Because melamine appears to be "highly toxic" to animals, especially cats, and because of the Wal-Mart recall, it is best to avoid buying pet food that is made in China for the time being, Nestle said.

What Can You Do?

The FDA encourages pet owners to consult with their veterinarian if their animals have eaten contaminated pet food and appear sick. A list of recalled products is available at www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html.

TIRES

New Jersey-based tire importer Foreign Tire Sales Inc. announced on Aug. 9 that it would recall 255,000 Chinese-made tires missing a safety feature that helps prevent their treads from separating.

How Concerned Should You Be?

Recalled tires lack a gum strip that binds the belts of each tire. If a tire separates, it could cause the driver to crash.

What Can You Do?

All recalled tires should be removed immediately, said Richard Kuskin, the owner of Foreign Tire Sales. Tires under the recall were sold "in almost every state" between 2004 and the present, he said. A list of recalled tires is available at www.foreigntire.com.