China Sets Up a Food Safety Super-Regulator

It was a simple demonstration of a serious problem. At China’s National People’s Congress on March 6, a delegate from Zhejiang took out some dark peanuts, prized for their rich flavor, and dropped them in a glass of clear water. The water immediately turned black from the chemical dye coating the nuts. “This is not a show. I want people to see how these toxic additives are proliferating and harmful,” said Zhu Zhangjin, who brought more than 300 different samples of doctored food products to Beijing, according to the Qianjiang Evening News, a daily, on March 7.

Following earlier scares over melamine-laced milk powder, exploding watermelons, and pesticide-soaked vegetables, food safety is again on the minds of the Chinese. After the state broadcaster revealed late last year that some KFC chicken contained excessive levels of antibiotics, consumers deserted the once-popular fast-food chain. Sales fell 20 percent at the Louisville-based company’s 5,200 restaurants in China in 2013, parent Yum! Brands said on March 11. The company, which gets about half its revenue from China, has launched a campaign to reassure consumers about the safety of its menu.