Posted on 02/05/2008 8:42:26 AM PST by traumer
Chinese dumplings which were laced with pesticide and made at least 10 Japanese people ill were probably poisoned on purpose, Japan's health minister says. The frozen dumplings were contaminated with a highly toxic organophoshate pesticide methamidophos.
"Judging from the circumstantial evidence, we'd have to think that it's highly likely to be a crime," Yoichi Masuzoe told reporters.
The issue has triggered intensive media coverage and public alarm in Japan.
Japanese police say they want to work with their Chinese counterparts to investigate how the dumplings, known as gyoza in Japan, were poisoned.
Safety scares
The problem emerged last Wednesday, when 10 people were reported to have fallen ill from the dumplings - thin dough packets containing ground meat and vegetables which are then fried.
The dosage of pesticide was sufficiently concentrated to leave one five-year-old girl seriously ill.
By late Thursday there were unconfirmed reports of dozens of other cases.
The Japanese distributor, JT Foods, quickly recalled the dumplings and other products made by the same Chinese company, Tianyang Food.
But China says preliminary tests on two batches of the dumplings found them to be safe.
The two countries have not yet ratified an agreement to allow investigators to travel between them though so any contacts will be made through diplomatic channels.
In the meantime the Japanese will try to rule out the possibility that the dumplings were poisoned in Japan after they had been brought in from China.
In recent months, Chinese-made products have been involved in several safety scares.
But Japan has also had its problems. Last year, confectioners admitted to mislabelling expiry dates on biscuits and rice cakes.
"... But Japan has also had its problems. Last year, confectioners admitted to mislabelling expiry dates on biscuits and rice cakes."
Oh, WELL then. Thank goodness for reporters not wanting to appear biased.
..rice cakes need “expiry dates” about as much as styrofoam cups.
As you think about that, recall that in ancient times, the Romans and others would catapult disease-riddled corpses over the walls of cities they besieged to sicken and kill the enemy. The Chinese know that history even if we obviously have forgotten it. Get my drift there?
On a recent visit to China, a friend spotted this ad in a Beijing newspaper. He sent me the photo with a translation of the ad copy.
Yes, you can now join the millions of happy and prosperous Chinese citizens taking advantage of the growing numbers of American and Western multinational corporations “outsourcing” their production to the hard-working and industrious people of China. This outsourcing has now spread to their food supplies and ingestible items. Since these firms pay us for gross weight – and this new weight will be pretty gross – and the stupid American government only spot-checks imported items in these categories (they just got lucky on the anti-freeze thing), it has opened an entirely new opportunity which our beloved Chairman is offering to any Chinese citizen willing to do a little of what the foolish Americans call “grunt work.”
Installing one of these state-of-the-art food additive production facilities behind YOUR hovel is as simple as clipping the coupon below and sending it to the address shown. Your production plant will be shipped to you in 4 to 6 weeks. Supplies are limited so don’t fart around. ACT NOW!!
These silly Americans have an expression we have “borrowed” and modified to describe this new and exciting venture: “Don’t give me any s**t.”
Our motto will be “We won’t GIVE you any s**t. But we’ll SELL it to you fools at a really great price.”
AND LOOK FOR A NEW DROP-DEAD MONEY-MAKER COMING SOON. SOYLENT YELLOW PROMISES TO BE BIG!!
AND YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED TO KNOW THAT THE “CHERY” PERSONAL VEHICLE TO BE IMPORTED BY CHRYSLER IS SIMPLY A HORIZONTALLY MODIFIED VARIATION OF THE VERTICAL UNIT SHOWN
And if they can't, that possibility should always be on the table.
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