Source: CCTV.com
11-27-2007 11:10
Special Report: High Level Int'l FS Forum |
China's top quality supervisor Li Changjiang says inspections show China's food quality is generally sound. His remarks come in response to EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson, who had strongly condemned Chinese food quality at a food safety forum held in Beijing. Li said Mandelson's condemnation was unfair and didn't match the facts.
Li Changjiang said food safety is a sensitive and complex issue around the world. The purpose of the High Level International Food Safety Forum in China was to strengthen international cooperation and communication on food safety. But at the forum held on Monday, EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson blamed China for the quality of its food, saying most substandard products came from China.
Li Changjiang said "Quality problems do exist in some products. But the figure he mentioned is far from the truth. In the first nine months of this year, the EU exported 55,656 batches of food products to China, of which 467 batches did not meet standards. That is 0.84 percent. But during that period, substandard products only accounted for 0.2 percent of China's food exports to the EU. Statistics are the best truth."
Li said all comments should be based on truth and be scientific. He said food safety problems do not only exist in developing countries, they also exist in developed countries. And the Beijing forum provided a platform for all countries and regions to improve food safety together.
Li said "Many representatives from developed countries have mentioned food safety problems in their countries. We should join hands to confront the problem and find a proper solution, thus improving food safety for people all over the world."
In the first half of the year, 99.1 percent of Chinese food exported to the US and 99.8 percent of exports to the EU met quality standards. And Japanese figures indicate 99.42 percent of the Chinese food sold to Japan last year was safe, higher than the percentage for food imported from the EU and the US.
Editor:Xiong Qu
