Tag: China
-
Court Denies Class Cert. Request in Pet Treat Litigation
Finding significant differences among the state laws applicable to a putative nationwide class action alleging injury to pets and economic damages from the purchase of dog treats containing chicken jerky from China, a federal court in California has denied the plaintiff’s request for class certification. Holt v. Globalinx Pet LLC, No. 13-0041 (C.D. Cal., S.…
-
China to Establish Food and Safety ‘Blacklist’
The Chinese Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) has announced a public consultation on a draft regulation, “Provisions on the Administration of the ‘Black List’ System for Food and Drug Safety,” that would give regulators the authority to blacklist companies that violate food safety laws. The regulation would allow information on manufacturers that violate laws and…
-
China Issues New Food Safety Regulations
The Chinese Food and Drug Administration has announced a public consultation on a revised draft of its new food safety law. Reportedly a high-priority initiative motivated by recent food safety scandals, the draft amendment includes the following major changes: (i) clarification of government duties; (ii) increased regulatory obligations for food manufacturers and distributors; (iii) enhanced…
-
Visa Delays Affecting FDA Inspections in China
According to a news source, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) personnel have experienced significant delays in obtaining visas from China to staff food and drug inspection offices in that country. One staff member reportedly withdrew his application after waiting nine months for approval to work in China. The delays are seen as a setback…
-
Florida Melamine-Tainted Milk Importer Seeks Bankruptcy Protection
A Florida-based import-export company has filed for Chapter 7 protection in bankruptcy court, listing more than $204 million in liabilities from litigation over its role in the import from China of powdered milk contaminated with melamine. In re Exim Brickell, LLC, No. 13-28502 (U.S. Bankruptcy Ct., S.D. Fla., filed August 3, 2013). Exim Brickell, LLC…
-
Golden Rice Study Criticized on Ethical Grounds
A recently published study involving transgenic rice has reportedly drawn criticism from Greenpeace China, which has accused U.S. researchers of using Chinese children “as guinea pigs in [a] genetically engineered ‘Golden Rice’ trial.” According to media sources, the advocacy group has cited a joint Chinese-U.S. study appearing in the August 2012 edition of the American Journal…
-
Wired Blogger Questions Safety of Food Imported from China
Wired magazine’s “Superbug” blogger Maryn McKenna recently published an article questioning China’s food safety record after reports surfaced that 11 people from one Xinjiang province village died “and anywhere from 120 to 140 were sickened” by vinegar contaminated with ethylene glycol. According to McKenna, “The vinegar had been stored in barrels that previously contained antifreeze,”…
-
Food Safety News Examines Honey Trade
“A third or more of all the honey consumed in the U.S. is likely to have been smuggled in from China and may be tainted with illegal antibiotics and heavy metals,” writes reporter Andrew Schneider in an August 15, 2011, Food Safety News article investigating the U.S. honey trade. Building on earlier media stories such…