More consumers check labels for country of origin, report
safety scares resulting from dangerous imports, according to a
recent survey.
Conducted by researchers at the Sacred Heart University in New England, the survey findings come as no surprise following the widespread media coverage and ensuing consumer alarm related to contaminated products from China. According to the survey, which was conducted between August and September 2007, almost 70 percent of consumers now say they check labels for nation of origin, manufacturer or ingredients, compared to some 53 percent last year. The survey was based on telephone interviews of 1000 Americans across all 50 states. Recently, a series of health scares and contamination problems with exported goods have led to widespread concerns about the safety of Chinese food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, prompting officials to assure the world about the safety of country's products. However, 87 percent of participants in the recent survey still agreed that Chinese imports should be suspended until it is determined the Chinese meet US product and food safety standards. In contrast, confidence in American-made and packaged products and foods is strong, expressed by some 87 percent of survey respondents. However, fewer than half of Americans surveyed - 47 percent - agreed that the US is doing a good job ensuring imports meet established safety and quality standards. "It is not surprising that Americans are clearly very concerned about food imported from other countries. The government clearly needs to do more to protect the consumer for poor quality imports especially meats, fish and dairy products. Labels and expiry dates alone do not suffice," said Dr Balbir Bhasin, a professor of International Business at Sacred Heart University's John Welch College of Business. Indeed, a government report earlier this month found that the current system of random border checks was failing to stem the tide of faulty imports, especially in the face of a rising number of goods manufactured or processed in Asia. Instead of randomly testing products as they enter the US, the government should "shrink the size of the borders", said a government panel of experts, and focus on targeting imports that inspectors suspect would fail safety checks. For their part, Chinese authorities have made a number of moves to bolster the safety of the country's products shipped abroad in order to restore confidence in these. For example, last month a senior Chinese trade official based in Washington said samples from every Chinese food shipment to the US and other countries will be tested for safety under new requirements by Chinese officials from September 1 2007. In addition, a raft of regulations have been implemented and are planned for later this year in an attempt to tighten up the national food manufacturing industry. In July the Chinese food regulator, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, announced that half of small processors would close amid fears that smaller unregulated operations accounted for many of the food safety problems. Zhao Baoqing, first commercial secretary of the Chinese Embassy and former food safety official has said the Chinese government has been actively cooperating with other countries to seek solutions, and has called for global cooperation to improve food safety and product quality.
