Wednesday, October 08, 2008 Bautista: The China Syndrome By Sam Bautista Tea Leaf Reader
A NEW word was added to the vocabulary of most Filipinos in the last month. Melamine used to be a word only chemists know and understand. But these days, anyone with a radio set already understands melamine is bad.
At least six babies in China died because of ingesting this substance placed in ilk formulas and suspected to have been distributed worldwide. Melamine is a chemical used in the production of plastic, so why was it mixed in with milk?
Well as it turns out, melamine also has this property of appearing like protein when tested by conventional means. Thus, milk and milk products laced, the official Chinese statement is "tainted", with melamine would appear as if having more protein than it actually has.
But why would anyone with half a brain put this dangerous product in human consumable products? Well, again it appears, melamine in small quantities does not cause instant death. A more prolonged death is expected when it is consumed in minute quantities.
Great! Another cause of cancer for the rest of us.
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This melamine thingy is just the latest of discoveries made public about how some Chinese companies "taint" their products.
Remember the time when this popular brand of candy was banned from the market? Yup, this very delicious candy was even one of my favorites when I still had a sweet tooth.
Believe me when I tell you that when the news broke out this particular candy was "tainted" with formalin, all my craving for sweets flew out the window.
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Only goes to show there should be no reason in the world to ever shortchange your customer.
Look at what happened to China with the melamine and formalin experiences. Suddenly anything coming for this country is immediately suspect.
Watching (listening actually) the national news in the comfort of my office, I heard people in the metropolis have shunned almost all products that come from China.
In particular, the news program tackled the phenomenon happening at D-B, that's Divisoria, for the uninitiated. What were once popular cosmetic products, made in China, of course, were suddenly no longer as hot as it was. In fact, the vain suddenly discovered other, although more pricey, cosmetics in the market.
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On another front, and with Christmas just around the corner, a consumer's group is also calling for the proper testing of Christmas lights that are -- you guessed it -- made in China.
This is nothing new of course, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has not been remiss in reminding the public not to buy products that do not have the ICC seal. This seal is the consumer's protection against defective products, especially Christmas lights that could have blazing consequences on the family Christmas tree (which are probably made in China as well).
Or the P10-a-pair-batteries that were selling like hot cakes in the city market at one time. Sure they were cheaper than the branded ones, but they didn't last as long and had (allegedly) this nasty habit of suddenly blowing up.
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So how long will this fear of Chinese products last? Nobody can actually say. Until cheap becomes a more compelling reason over safety (again), I suppose.
With the present aversion for anything Chinese, would it come to the point people will also avoid imported Chinese carrots? Or potatoes? (Which would be to the delight of Benguet, Mt. Province, and Ifugao farmers) Or even wombok (that's what we call Chinese cabbage in these parts)?
Well, probably not. Wombok is still rather expensive at this time of the year, yes even in the city market.
