[Vision2020] CHINA: Melamine Contamination

[Kenneth Marcy]

On Friday 26 September 2008 12:19:41 lfalen wrote:
> We can not trust the Chinese to ensure that their exports are safe. Their
> products used internally are not safe. The FDA needs to test incoming
> products to ensure that they are safe. I am normally against increased
> government regulation, but this in one area where  it is needed. Roger

The FDA might be asked to do some spot checking as a result of a known problem 
elsewhere that could be presumed to be headed our way. However, to be doing 
product testing for Chinese products preferentially over the mountains of 
American products, pharmaceuticals in particular, that have not been tested, 
is a misapplication of current FDA resources. The fact of the matter is that 
the FDA should have been testing many more American products many years ago, 
and a serious backlog of undone testing exists among some potentially high 
risk products.

This is not to suggest that we should ignore the Chinese and the problems they 
are foisting off on Americans as safe consumer products. But we should not 
become the quality control department for Chinese products sent to America. 
On the other hand, we would do well to increase our sea port security, 
searching for contraband in the form of illegal human cargo and other 
non-conforming shipments of goods. If it turns out that acceptance sampling 
of goods still on Chinese ships indicates substandard deliveries, we can 
reject the entire lot and send it back. The longer term result should be 
higher quality products received without contaminated fillers or additives.


Ken