An Export Boom Suddenly Facing a Quality Crisis

By David Barboza | The New York Times
18 May 2007

SHANGHAI, May 17 — Weeks after tainted Chinese pet food ingredients killed and sickened thousands of dogs and cats in the United States, this country is facing growing international pressure to prove that its food exports are safe to eat.

But simmering beneath the surface is a thornier problem that worries Chinese officials: how to assure the world that this is not a nation of counterfeits and that “Made in China” means well made.

Already, the contamination has produced one of the largest pet food recalls in American history, heightening global fears about the quality and safety of China’s agricultural products. And evidence has also shown that China exported fake drug ingredients, threatening to undermine the credibility of another booming export.

“This isn’t an international crisis yet, but if they don’t do something about it quickly, it will be,” said David Zweig, a China specialist who teaches at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. “The question is whether it spills over and ‘Made in China’ becomes known as ‘Buyer Beware.’ ”

With contamination known to have spread to feed for livestock and fish, some of America’s biggest food companies, like Kraft Foods, are lobbying the United States government to press China to improve its food safety measures.

Kraft, Kellogg and other food companies have said they are reviewing their food safety procedures and upgrading equipment. These executives worry that another scare involving China could set off a consumer backlash against Chinese or foreign imports and reverse a trend that has made large food makers increasingly dependent on processed ingredients from developing countries.

Experts also say doubts about the quality of China’s food shipments and worries about its fake drugs could affect other exports if buyers begin to find safety problems or other product flaws.

Indeed, the frequency of recalls of Chinese imports has risen in recent years, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

For instance, two weeks ago, Wal-Mart Stores announced a nationwide recall of baby bibs made in China after some of those bibs tested positive for high levels of lead.

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