Chinese Products

Barely a month passed since the entire world was mesmerised by China when it successfully organised the 2008 Summer Olympics, the world has been once again rocked by another health scare involving China-made products. The world was once shaken by lead-contaminated paints that had been used in children's toys.

The latest food scandal involved dairy products which are tainted by the industrial chemical, melamine. Melamine is used for the manufacture of plastics and when one thinks of melamine, one would immediately think about plastic cups and plates. Melamine has been added to milk to artificially raise its protein content. As a result, so far four children have been reported to have died by melamine poisoning while many hundred babies were reported to have developed kidney stones. It was quite shocking to learn that many large corporations, including one that sponsored the 2008 Olympics, were involved in the scandal. The scandal was first confined within China, but eventually spread to other parts of the world. Many countries, Brunei included, have banned and removed any Chinese dairy products from their shops. 

I have received many emails, advising me to avoid some products and the list gets longer everyday. Some of the better-known brands have their products made in China and this caused a confusion when the same-brand, but made in other countries, have been 'declared' to be dnagerous. My advice is go check the country where the product was made and do not buy it if it was made in China.

Among one of the items affected by the scandal is the White Rabbit Soft Candy. This used to be one of my vices, but now I think I have to avoid it until the Chinese Government sort this scandal out.

Will we ever get our confidence back with Chinese products?