Chinese products
The current Chinese milk powder contamination is a serious blow to the trust on all Chinese products! We in Bangladesh must re-look for different sources, as we import many things from China. Starting from plant and machinery to consumer goods, toys, medicines, processed food and many primary and semi-finished raw materials and primary and ready to use chemicals, paints etc. All these and many more items coming from China are now suspect.
Invariably, we tend to buy Chinese products, because of low price; but now we know from experiences in Europe and America that it could be poisonous and fatal for us. The tainted milk powder may have cost many children's lives, unknown to us! We must now thoroughly check and verify all Chinese chemicals, food products, paints, cosmetics and toiletries before we allow it to be delivered to the unsuspecting importers!
This practice of dangerous contamination may have been covertly going on for a long time. It was only in early 2007, that pet food coming from China mostly to Europe and America, first triggered the alarm, due to widespread illness to pets. This was traced to the deadly tainting of pet food with melamine! Next came toothpaste containing poisonous chemical used to manufacture automobile anti-freeze imported again by Europe, America and many other countries! This followed the use of lead paint in Chinese toys, a popular item of import from China!
One can only wonder how many children in the world have suffered directly or indirectly from lead related poisoning, caused by playing with Chinese toys! On the medical side, contaminated Chinese ingredient "heparin" in blood thinner has been identified in the USA where it had caused many deaths!
These are known, and many may be still unknown, that we ingest or normally use without knowing what poison it may contain! Figuratively speaking, it is worse than nuclear weapon, because in the latter case others can easily identify the cause of radiation sickness and death!
Who knows how many of our future generations have been infected by the use of melamine tainted milk powder and many other confectionaries and foods and food related items that we import from China! Not only at the consumer end, our authorities must rigorously test all raw, semi-finished and finished products that are food or chemical related, imported by our whole-sellers and manufactures of paints, inks and related chemicals and food based products that we use regularly as consumers or as manufacturing material locally.
Any product made from Chinese chemicals and other materials are now logically suspect.
The threat is very real, and has a long term impact on our health problems.
The authorities must take it seriously. No amount of Chinese reassurances can answer the vital question. Are these items really SAFE? For us to use or consume?
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments