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July 8, 2007 - Knee-deep into his exposé of China's food industry, author Zhou Qing relates a disturbing anecdote about a pig-feed additive called clenbuterol. The chemical is poisonous to humans, causing dizziness, fatigue, nausea and heart palpitations. But breeders like the substance—known locally as lean meat essence—because it makes pork redder and meatier. Zhou hears from a food safety official about a provincial political leader told by a farmer that his pigs still get the banned chemical because it makes their meat a hot-seller in urban areas. “Don't you know that it harms people?” asks the official. "'Yes,” replies the farmer. “But city people have free medical care, so it's no problem.”

Tainted Chinese food and drugs have become an issue of concern globally after a spate of illnesses and accidents. Pet foods that include melamine-spiked wheat gluten are now being blamed for the deaths of an unknown number of American pets. Cough syrup laced with mislabeled diethylene glycol has claimed the lives of at least 50 Panamians. Many countries have blacklisted Chinese toothpastes containing the same ingredient. In recent years, Zhou notes, Russians popping Chinese pork out of the oven have discovered drops of mercury on the pan. Countries from Asia to Europe to North America have found traces of arsenic, illegal antibiotics and other potentially carcinogenic chemicals in Chinese seafood exports, leading the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to suspend the sale of five farm-raised varieties just last week.
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By: Jonathan Ansfield - Newsweek