China food crisis: Government reports 53,000 sick babies
By Gina Spadafori
September 22, 2008
What do you want to bet that’s off by a factor of 10 to 1,000, anyone’s guess. After all, our own arguably more transparent government would never admit to how many pets were killed by tainted Chinese ingredients. (Independent estimates range into the thousands killed and tens of thousands made sick.) China’s “put a pretty face on everything” government? Can’t imagine they’re going to be more open.
From the AP:
The number of children in China sickened by dairy products tainted with the banned industrial chemical melamine has jumped to nearly 53,000, the government said Sunday as it vowed to crack down on those responsible for one of China’s worst food safety scandals in years.
More than 80 percent of the 12,892 children hospitalized in recent weeks were 2 years old or younger, the Health Ministry said in a statement posted on its Web site late Sunday. Four children have died and 104 of the hospitalized children are in serious condition.
Another 39,965 children received outpatient treatment at hospitals and were considered “basically recovered,” the ministry said.
Good heavens! Throughout the pet-food recall, when we were counting the thousands of dead pets, we kept arguing this wasn’t a “pet food issue” but “food safety issue.”And that people would be next.
Can’t say I am enjoying being right. China didn’t give a damn about our pets. Will they care about their own babies? We all gotta hope …
I am reminded of the “official” SARS reporting from China - as in, “we don’t have that”. Perhaps some rogue physicians will leak word on the true numbers involved here.
Comment by slt — September 22, 2008 @ 7:43 am
Somehow I just can’t believe that it is only children who are affected by this. What about the elderly? And we know there are other products out there with these protein additives. What proportions? Frequency consumed? How do small amounts over a long period of time affect the human body? I’m not trusting the brush off that “it doesn’t affect adults.” And what does “basically recovering” mean? What has the treatment been for this malady?
Our own FDA can’t help us right now. Whatever it takes, we need to know that our food is safe. If the U.S. government doesn’t invest in our future and our safety, there’ll be no future as we’ll all be dead. China could slow poison the world. Actually, they’ve already started.
Comment by Nadine L. — September 22, 2008 @ 8:54 am
“basically recovered”
I wonder what that means?
Nadine, I don’t think we’ll know how small amounts over a long period of time will affect the human body for awhile. We’re still in the experimental process.
Comment by straybaby — September 22, 2008 @ 9:47 am
straybaby - and “milk” is only one of many experiments…
Comment by Nadine L. — September 22, 2008 @ 10:11 am
Well, since our wonderful government’s response to the Stock Market Crash last Monday is to come up with a buy out plan to be funded by selling treasury bonds to China, I don’t foresee any help for food product safety in the future. The more we rely on China to fund our Federal expenditures, the more she has us over a barrel of melamine, IMHO.
Oh, PRI’s the World pointed out that today, the awful pre Olympics smog has returned to Beijing.
Comment by Anne T — September 22, 2008 @ 1:23 pm
This won’t be the first time China has killed it’s children. I read an article earlier today that said over a hundred children died, many more malnourished, by infant formula that was totally bankrupt of any nutrition!
Comment by Margaret — September 22, 2008 @ 6:25 pm
Yup, Anne T., I just came home from Mongolia with an overnight stop in Beijing. I was there for about 20 hours and the air pollution was so bad I think it took a few hours off my life.
In the cab to the airport Sunday morning, I literally couldn’t see anything above about the 15th floor of the office buildings that we were driving past and it was hazy lower than that. Looking out the front windshield of the cab it was nothing but a grey wall 2-3 hundred yards down the street.
I have never seen anything like it. You really have to wonder how it affects dogs to inhale that nasty particulate matter, not to forget children and everyone else.
Comment by Susan Fox — September 22, 2008 @ 7:14 pm
Wait Wait don’t tell me?
NY Times says today that there were reports of milk problems in China back into 2007. Imagine my not surprise. I am dying of not surprised. And what did I read a while back… Oh yes, The US Poultry Industry wanted to ship chickens to China to be processed there and reshipped back here for consumption. Right that sounds like a good idea. Needs a marker for ‘Whatevercouldgowrongwiththat?”. ACK they’re back!
Comment by Lost for Words — September 24, 2008 @ 7:13 am