Despite Premier Wen Jiabao's apology, the whole mainland food production infrastructure is under a cloud of suspicion. Food safety has become a topic of conversation at dinner tables across Hong Kong. The adulteration of milk powder with the chemical melamine by a number of producers for financial gain has raised concern here about all mainland-made food and beverages.
It seems melamine has been used in products for about three years and is well known to people in the industry, although it has only gained notoriety with the reported deaths of four babies and the sickness of thousands more. Hong Kong has not been spared, with at least four children suffering kidney problems.
Some years ago, vegetables grown with too much pesticide in Guangdong caused a mini-panic when people fell ill. The Hong Kong government developed a system whereby its inspectors visited major farms providing vegetables for Hong Kong, to ensure quality. In 1997, there was the shock of bird flu, and the problem is still very much with us. The accepted wisdom is for Hong Kong to stop raising chickens and build a central slaughter house for mainland imported chickens, to ensure tight inspection controls. Then there was the saga of malachite green in farmed fish, as well as problems with the quality of imported mainland eggs, which not only led to calls for better local food inspection but also raised doubts about how food products were handled across the border.
Even pets have not been spared - the recent scare over melamine-contaminated pet food sent abroad also led to recalls after some animals died.
Every time there is a food scare, people stop buying the product in question, but the overall challenge of ensuring wholesome food remains. Those who can afford it can choose to buy locally grown vegetables from the small but seemingly thriving organic farms, or purchase much more expensive imports from America or Europe, for example. There are even people questioning whether Hong Kong should get rid of its local chicken farms, as the quality of their birds is easier to ensure. Since we are not about to eradicate bird flu any time soon, perhaps rearing chickens in Hong Kong is worth reconsidering.
Questions are also being raised about the quality of feedstock for animals - in particular pigs and chickens, because they are so popular in Chinese cuisine. We want to know that we are consuming healthy animals, not ones stuffed with chemicals. And, what about the chemicals used in food processing? The food industry uses many to enhance taste, colour and smell, as well as to preserve food. Beyond the possible long-term health risks, there is the fear that unscrupulous producers could be using substandard products in their food production processes. How can our inspectors protect us from such risks?