9 May 2008 – China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ) has blacklisted products from companies including Coca-Cola, P&G and Nestlé after tests found that 593 food items imported into China in January and February were unfit for human consumption, according to media reports.
Amongst the incriminated products were two batches of Pringles potato crisps which were found to be contaminated with potassium bromate, a chemical believed to be carcinogenic.
A berry-flavoured Coca-Cola Fanta drink was found to contain higher than acceptable levels of benzoic acid, which is routinely used as a food preservative but can cause harm to internal organs in high doses.
Checks also uncovered beetles in Vietnam coffee beans from Nestle's Dongguan Branch Company.
Stores which are found to be knowingly selling the blacklisted items will be fined 50,000 yuan (7,140 dollars) and will see the goods confiscated, GAQSIQ warned.
The Chinese authorities have stepped up their food safety efforts in the wake of a string of scares involving Chinese goods in 2007, but the increased monitoring hasn’t put an end to the scandals. Poisoned dumplings from China sickened at least 10 Japanese at the start of the year, as reported on FLEXNEWS.