Think twice before biting into a chocolate to [sic] loose yourself in its taste – you might actually be chewing a wee bit more then you bargained for.
“It seems to be seriously contaminated during the manufacturing process since the larvae of Plodia Interpun were found,” says Professor Ahn Young-chul at Eulji University.
Reports suggest that worms were found in some chocolates made in Korea as well. But the news about the ‘China Chocolates’ adds to the already-damaged “Made in China” brand.
An array of tainted Chinese products, including toxic toys, toxic toothpaste, inflammable clothes, poisoned pet food and contaminated medicine were discovered across the globe in recent months causing importers and consumers alike to question the quality of goods coming from China.
Ya, I somehow sense there may be a slight diff between allowing 10 PPM of insect parts in ground black table pepper, f’rinstance, and 300,000 PPM of whole worms in choccies.
#60
I don’t recall ever claiming we did Mustard.
We do however allow the import of many such items from China and other countries.
It’s easy to externalize the blame. Our lax regulations on imports make it easy to accept sub-standard goods.
Don’t get mad at China, write your congressman if you’re uncomfortable with “lead in toys, E. coli in spinach, or worms in chocolate bon-bons.”
After all who regulates what is available in your domestic market Mustard?
BTW for all you China bashers. If you’re going to boycott Chinese products I expect not to see any more posts from you in this forum as the computer you using is made of parts manufactured there. The server Dvorak is hosted on also is composed of these Chinese parts.
cya
Who’s a China-basher? Pointing out that they happen to take quality less seriously than other nationalities isn’t “bashing,” it’s factual observation. Very little inspection or oversight is necessary for goods from, say, Germany or Sweden. In fact, much of our lax importation policies have come about due to how unnecessary they had tended to become, before we started trading with what are, for purposes of product quality, 3rd World producers.
Now the greedheads in executive suites all over America are making money hand over fist from trade with China. And when they’re offered the choice of opting for a higher quality control standard on the goods they purchase, they turn thumbs down, because QA interferes with windfall profits. So their good friends in the Bush Admin look the other way while tainted and dangerous goods are brought in by their pals. We get $49 universal disc players and $3/lb catfish and they get private islands. Everyone’s happy, no?
Yes, the blame for these things being sold to unsuspecting American consumers lies with Big Bidniss and their handmaidens in the White House – incidentally, something that will continue uninterrupted should Hillary win – but left to their own devices, China has not been an exporter of consumer goods long enough to grasp on their own the importance of quality product. Taiwan and the Philippines have learned well, Korea is starting to learn, but China, being the newest, turns out some of the worst crap currently.
Low QA means lower prices to American consumers, which in turn make Americans’ dollars go farther, thereby reducing the pressure on American businesses to share their rivers of money with the working people of this country.
Last year, a 32″ TV mighta cost you $2000. But you make only $40,000 a year, so that’s a bit steep. Not to worry. While the company you work for posted record profits – and record executive salaries – you didn’t even get a COLA, but yesterday you could go to Fry’s and get a 32″ TV for $400. Now you’re less willing to bitch about not getting that raise or to go elsewhere.
And that’s the way it was planned. What executive America didn’t plan on, blinded by their greed, was the nonexistent QA they didn’t want to pay for out of their already obscene profits coming back to bite them on the ass. So they want to pass the buck and say “Yeah, those Chinese need to get their act together.” But the Chinese will gladly make higher quality product – they do it all the time for companies like Nikon and Matsushita – who pay more for the extra QA. But if American companies wind up being forced to foot the bill, it surely ain’t coming out of the profits they’ve gotten used to, so prices will go up. And then the American worker will once again notice that he’s not getting Jack Shit, while those on top keep buying private jets and $30M Connecticut mansions.
Then who are they gonna pass the buck to? That’s the $64,000 Question.
#55 Phillep – Ahh someone who is educated and knows what communism is, and perhaps has studied it. Communism by its nature does not allow progress, period! This is one of the foundation stones – the worker who continues his hand crafts.
This is why China (Russia too) had to abandon it. I find it funny and frustrating when people argue about something to which they have no f*cking clue E.G. communism, China, Iran, and even their own country the US.
I have always liked how The Firesign Theatre summed American ignorance about their own country “Ben Franklin the only president of the United States who was never president of the United States.”
If you think about my list of Chinese made goods imported into the US the volume is Shock and Awe. Hundreds of thousands of containers, about 75% of anything Americans will buy from a country that could hardly screw to pieces of metal together 20 years ago. (for that volume of goods it is perhaps only 0.001% that has been in the news as shit)
There is that Taiwan issue. Yes, there are the old farts ON BOTH SIDES who are anal about it. China has been wanting to normalise relations with Taiwan for years aside from the HK style reintegration but simply in postal, transportation (Direct flights), and trade links. Taiwan has been the one to refuse for their reasons. Until recently to get to and from Taiwan you would have to fly to HK first.
I will say it again the change that China has done on the scale it has is nothing short of astounding. And YES, there is still a lot of shit needing to be done – but if the next 20 years are anything like the last…
Cheers
#57 Pssst, Sure about that?
I forgot to add 3 and 5 series BMWs are made in China.
Cheers
Mr Mustard “That may be true, but we don’t allow the production of chocolates with worms in them”
Neither does China.
China does not allow the production of Meth
Cheers
#64 “Pointing out that they happen to take quality less seriously than other nationalities isn’t “bashing,” it’s factual observation.”
Yes…you are correct that more inspection is required of Chinese goods than say German…but the reasons are not exactly that Chinese don’t care.
Chinese culture is not American culture. It simply does not occur to them something is wrong. To Chinese all they know is what they are told to do – the big picture doesn’t mean anything to them. It never occurs to Chinese what are the results of what they are doing.. Americans workers on the other hand are fully aware of the results of what they are doing as it has been explained and understood. Without giving offence Chinese workers are like 8 year old children – you can tell them to do something but don’t expect them to understand the big picture.
In time this will change. Its like telling a pig lying in the mud to be ashamed at how dirty he is. Show the pig how nice it is to be clean…then you will get somewhere.
Remember…
20 years ago China could hardly screw two pieces of metal together.
Trust me as someone who has been on the factory floor with Chinese workers for years when you actually get the penny to drop in their head that what they are doing is wrong they do follow it. Getting that penny to drop is the f*cking hard part!! *LOL*
A few years back I was the GM of a new factory which was just set up in China by a US company. I had the CEO on a conference call who had never been to China tell me “All you need to is just tell these workers they work for an American company now and they must follow the rules…” Sigh….I was working for the ‘pointy haired boss’ Gaaa!
Cheers
#55 “China has long wanted to conquer Japan, along with Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and India. I don’t know what the Australian population is doing, but they are withen reach of China’s Navy. Siberia? China has historically conquered civilised lands”
That was Ghengis Khan…he was Mongolian by the way not Chinese. He was the empire builder. To say that China is still this way is like saying the Greeks are too. China historically spent most of its time fighting within its own borders.
Regarding Vietnam, North Korea and so on Mao wanted buffer countries surrounding China like Hitler wanting Poland as a buffer to Russia. Mao is gone…
It was Japan who invaded China in recent times…not the other way around.
China is not imperialistic – it doesn’t need to be. Think about this, If China was do you think for one minute that idiot in North Korea would still be around? That idiot pisses China off to no end, there are constant cross border issues from North Koreans. China has the opportunity right now to march right in to North Korea and the world would applaud it!! But they don’t
Cheers
Okay TIHZ_HO, since you obviously work for the Chinese government and/or have been brainwashed by them maybe you can answer some questions.
In what way is trading with China a good thing for the U.S. or any other country for that matter? The U.S. just needs to bite the bullet and say anything made by or containing parts from a country that either doesn’t have adequate labor laws or doesn’t enforce them will not be imported period. Additionally, do like the Japanese do and inspect the shit out of everything coming into the country and pay for it by taxing imports. You see while currently the U.S. couldn’t handle the manufacturing workload, in the long run the benefits far outweigh any costs.
Why all the military spending? I mean excuse me for being a little worried here, but you generally don’t buy a tennis racket unless your planning on playing a little tennis? The reason China doesn’t attack Japan or anyone else is because despite their numbers their military is still lacking technology, and regardless of who would win, a war with the U.S. would be a little too costly. If China thought for a second they could get away with a little imperialism, you are a bit naive to think that they wouldn’t. China currently has more than enough soldiers and military hardware to provide an ample defense, so once again, why all the spending unless of course they have more than an ample defense in mind?
#70 “since you obviously work for the Chinese government and/or have been brainwashed by them…”
LOL No, I am an American business man in China with a couple of export companies. I have been outside of the US long enough for the layers of bullshit that Americans are subjected to everyday can fall away.
I never said that trading with China is a good thing for the US or any country. What I did say is there is no shortage of foreign companies falling over themselves to get to China to either manufacture and export or to sell domestically.
Americans are so anal about themselves and the US, knowing everything about anything because they haven’t yet moved out of the WW2 era of thinking.
You make uninformed statements about ‘inadequate’ labour laws not knowing that China actually has more labour benefits for workers then the US. E.G. How much paid maternity leave does the US have? Oh…none.
The problems with labour are not with the Chinese government but with private businesses who operate outside of the law. The Chinese government freely admits the problems of administration and enforcement and is actively striving to eradicate corrupt officials and business people.
2000 corrupt government officials have recently been arrested and charged. This week the government announced it is enacting new programs to further aid people in rural areas.
So how is New Orleans coming along there good buddy? Its only been HOW LONG!!??
You seem incapable in understanding the abrupt changes that China was undergone in just 20 years…and the progress that has been done post Mao while the US has taken its own sweet time to reform anything. Should I mention how long it took for slaves to get their civil rights – 100 years and still the KKK is active!!
So as like many shoot from the hip Americans you seem to have no problems arguing about something in which you haven’t the fainted idea about BUT you are able to rationalise it so you can believe what you are saying.
Who invaded and started two wars on its own accord under proven false pretences and no results to date and is contemplating started a third?
The US has a long history of acquiring territory by force and untrustworthy means. Crack open your history book and have a little education of what the US has taken from the Native Americans, and Mexicans under the banner of Freedom and Liberty. Don’t forget the all those islands in the Pacific as well…
If you want to compare armies, North Korea’s standing army is almost as large as China’s!
To use your own words
The US “currently has more than enough soldiers and military hardware to provide an ample defense, so once again, why all the spending unless of course they have more than an ample defense in mind?”
W…T…F???
By not flushing billions of dollars down the toilet like the US is in Afghanistan and Iraq China can spend it all kinds of new shit, highways, bridges, hi-speed trains, subways… If you got off you fat ass and had a look here you would know this. Until then you don’t know DICK!
By the way, I was just like you before I actually spent some time living other countries. I found that the world does not need to conform to what the US thinks it is.
Cheers
#65 said:” Taiwan has been the one to refuse for their reasons. Until recently to get to and from Taiwan you would have to fly to HK first.”
Hey, who wouldn’t want to! I would also refuse to go somewhere in China whitout going to HK first.
#68 Hey, that’s my favorite line to describe what going on in kuzcoland: How do you tell pigs they’re living on a pigsty. Sadly, there’s no way of convincing this pigs that being cleaner is better. They just won’t get it and even if they did, they’re too lazy to do it.
And that’s partly one of the reasons why, IMHO, Latin America was unable to do in the 70′s what China did now. Nowadays is all but impossible.
#69 Korea was not the result of a Japanese invasion to China?
Funny::: The USA has RECALLS and China does not have ???
They are poising us and they still have the chutzpa ( guts) to blame the USA Gov. for politics and The USA manufactures for not checking the goods.
#72 If you are Taiwanese and have a business in Shanghai you would get rather pissed off having your trip taking 3-4 times as long by going all the way to HK then turning around passing Taiwan to Shanghai.
#69 Korea has always been separate from China. In around 1236AD Genghis Khan invaded Korea and after some 30 years they both signed a peace treaty and Korea remained separate. In the late 1800′s Japan forced its influence onto Korea and finaly in 1910 annexed Korea all together.
It was Genghis Khan who was the Empire builder in China and he was not even Chinese – he Mongolian and an invader of China.
After WWII Korea went back to being Korea from Japan same as Taiwan.
Mao had other plans…
Cheers
Here is an interesting article about China
http://tinyurl.com/pnl9t
Cheers
#74 dang, I put a tourist angle and you put it down. What the world has come to!
#76 OH! Sorry! I got caught up in all this! I get it now!
Cheers
And here is the latest story out on the toy recall just hours ago
Business Week
http://tinyurl.com/38qh4k
“The two GeoTrax toys were made by Apex Manufacturing Company Ltd., one of Mattel’s contract vendors, which outsourced paint work to a subcontractor, Boyi Plastic Products Factory. Apex supplied Boyi with certified paint; however, the toys were made with uncertified paint.”
“one of Mattel’s contract vendors, which outsourced the molding and painting of one plastic piece. A subcontractor, Jingying Tampo Printing Processing Factory, used uncertified paint on the…”
And here is what I said months ago…
“All is fine if my paint I am selling to company A is what it I say it is but this can change either with my knowing or without. I must be vigilant with my purchasing officer as well as workers in the factory as they can all benefit from someone wanting to make a ‘deal’. The good materials in the factory I use for my products might be sold to someone out the back door which is replaced by some inferior material with counterfeit labels, drums etc. For large companies in ‘deals’ like this even the senior management like ‘wet their beak’.
Business Week:
“Mattel vowed as recently as last month it would tighten its controls in China. About 65 percent of the company’s toys are made in there, and about 50 percent of Mattel’s production is in China at company-owned plants.”
You need to have eyes everywhere and my guess is the Mattel did not have any foreign staff monitoring production. I am sure that NOW they do!
Cheers
#68
>>#64 “Pointing out that they happen to take quality less seriously
>>than other nationalities isn’t “bashing,” it’s factual observation.”
I agree thats not China bashing. This is China bashing:
“Is there anything that comes out of that country that isn’t shit. Comment by gquaglia”
“ya gotta love that Chinese quality control system!
Comment by AlanB ”
“We should have stopped trading with China a long time ago. Not simply because of the poor quality but also because of the fact they exploit people to do it
Comment by JMB.”
“Its a well known fact that China has been selling us shit for years.
Comment by Ian”
“They may have been pirated, but they’re still Chinese.
Comment by Mister Mustard ”
So you see what I’m getting at now TIHZ_HO
TIHZ_HO, the only one that appears to not have an open mind about the issue is you.
“currently has more than enough soldiers and military hardware to provide an ample defense”
We both know I was talking about China. Unfortunately, and I do mean unfortunately the U.S. has been charged with policing the world and therefore needs to spend alot more on defense than any other country. I don’t like the fact that the U.S. does this, but then again who else could we trust with the task?
You can quote me for China bashing all you want to, the fact that they exploit their workers is not an opinion it is a fact. While in America it does occur, it is the exception rather than the rule. In China I wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s the rule but it’s not exactly rare either. If it takes stopping trading with not only China but other countries that exploit their workers to enact change then so be it. It is not about bashing it is about respecting human life, and if the people making the decisions only understand money then you have to make respecting human life an economic necessity.
This one is my favorite,
“By the way, I was just like you before I actually spent some time living other countries. I found that the world does not need to conform to what the US thinks it is”
This is ironic, you see I am an American but I live in Tokyo and I have been here for 18 years. My wife works as intermediate between manufacturers in both China and Japan, and tool companies around the world. She makes regular trips to China and I do get to here the stories. She deals with quality issues as part of her job. Customers who want quality pay more for tools manufactured outside of China, this is not an opinion it is a fact. Now my opinion may be skewed a little because the industrial trash China dumps in the ocean ends up on Japan’s shores. To believe blindly all the crap the U.S. government and news puts out is foolish, but your blind denial of all of the facts concerning China’s disrespect for human life makes you quite the fool as well.