Over the years, China has faced too many food safety scandals to be a cause for alarm. The Eastern giant has gone through melamine-made milk in 2004, toxic infant formula in 2008, chemically-treated and exploding watermelons in 2011, fake chicken eggs in 2012, and rice with cadmium in 2013. This year, Guangdong police seized over 1,000 tons of dangerous frozen meat, and some of it were soaked in bleach.
The police managed to detain 16 suspects aboard a vessel docked near Shenzhen's Dangan Island. Most of the meat were produced from US, Brazil, and Thailand. To increase the shelf life and weight of the meat, some were treated in bleach which could cause serious problems to anyone who is unfortunate enough to ingest it.
"A criminal gang that used to smuggle frozen meat products, along with marine smuggling channel in Guangdong waters, were busted in the crackdown," said the statement from Guangdong marine police department, as reported by China Daily.
The sailors on the vessel failed to provide the necessary legal paperwork to prove that the meat was legal and approved. In light of these events, Chinese citizens express their disappointment with the law and are now clamoring for harsher punishments and stricter discipline over what comes in and out of the market.
The constant food safety scandal is not the only thing that the country needs to deal with.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the China's debt bubble may burst and it will cause a massive shock not only to their economy, but also to their trade allies.
In its latest quarterly report, the Bank for International Settlements has revealed that China has accumulated debt equal to that of US and Europe. It is now at 255 percent of GDP, which is alarming considering it was only at 147 in 2008.
Predictions reveal that China's income will not be enough to pay off all its debts and interests which will trigger a banking crisis. The problem stemmed from two things: China's economic development has slowed down and to trigger it, its government took on horrific debts to improve the situation.
If the government is struggling to pay off its debts, it looks like the citizens of China will be facing more food safety scandals as consequences pile up and backfire.
