FDA sets up China bureau to safeguard “trillions of dollars in imports”

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt speaks at the opening for the new U.S. Food and Drug Administration office in Beijing , China, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration opened a new office Wednesday in China's capital, its first outside the United States, as part of a new global strategy to ensure the safety of trillions of dollars of imports.(AP Photo/ Elizabeth Dalziel) -- Caption & photo from Associated Press.

In case anyone is in any doubt about intentions to offshore North-America’s food and dairy production, here’s a chilling story from Associated Press about the U.S. Food and Drug Administration setting up a branch in Bejing.

And of course they’re cleaning up China’s dairy operations to meet world standards, or so they say.

Here’s an excerpt from the recent Associated Press story by Tina Tran:

“…Milk and milk products tainted with melamine, an industrial chemical, have been blamed in the deaths of at least three infants and have sickened more than 50,000 others. The government has detained dozens of people in the scandal, but there have been no court cases so far.

The State Council, China’s Cabinet, said the Health Ministry will issue new quality and safety standards for dairy products, while the Agriculture Ministry will draft inspection standards for melamine and other toxins in animal feed. The flow and delivery of dairy products will also be tracked, it said in a statement.

The breadth and speed of the proposed changes echo actions taken last year, when a slew of Chinese exports — from toothpaste to toys — were found to contain high levels of potentially deadly chemicals.

After an initial unwillingness to acknowledge problems, authorities threw themselves into a campaign to protect export industries and bolster the country’s reputation as the world’s manufacturing base.

The government formed a Cabinet-level panel to oversee product quality and food safety, implemented a national food recall system, and announced increased random inspections, closures of unlicensed manufacturers and restaurants, and large-scale seizures of substandard goods.

Chinese officials also signed an agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on improving cooperation in drug safety.

Results have been mixed, largely because it is extremely difficult to regulate the country’s numerous producers and suppliers, many of which are small and illegally operated…..”

Read the whole story here.