Food safety is paramount

Law enforcement is struggling to keep up with the ingenuity of unscrupulous food traders. Even the threat of death sentences on the mainland is not even enough to put off those who sense a quick profit. The scandals involving meat, fruit and vegetables tainted with chemicals and cheap substitutes are seemingly increasing in number, not declining. It was therefore inevitable that science and gadgetry would come to the rescue. The tech company Baidu says it has developed "smart" chopsticks that can determine whether a meal is safe to eat.

It is an idea that is as old as it is new. Chinese emperors, ever-wary of rivals and enemies, used silver chopsticks in the belief that the eating utensils would turn black if they came into contact with poisoned food. There is no scientific evidence to support the practice, which is perhaps why rulers also often had the backup surety of food tasters. Baidu's device is still being developed and its speciality, for now, is gutter oil.

There is every reason to focus on this substance - produced from used cooking oil taken from drains, sewers and garbage, it can cause the gamut of illnesses from diarrhoea to cancer. Using sensors that can determine temperature, acidity and saltiness, Baidu's battery-powered device utilises an app to analyse chemicals in food and water to determine whether they are safe to eat. With cooking oil, part of the problem lies in the lack of standards for what constitutes safe. But that is no excuse, of course, for dirty oil to be collected, decanted, put in new bottles and passed off as being a safe product with a matching premium price. Scandals involving gutter oil are not confined to the mainland. Investigations are under way in Taiwan over its use to manufacture tonnes of lard.

Creation of an app to determine whether food is safe is a sad reflection of the state of the food industry. Its development may be exciting for some, but it also should be a disappointment. When it comes to food, there can never be a substitute for good regulations, inspections and tough penalties for those who break the rules.