China turns down American meat, but cardboard is OK

Posted Jul 16th 2007 1:55PM by Tom Barlow
Filed under: Bad News, Products and Services, China, Scandals, Tyson Foods'A' (TSN)

Update; The Chinese government has since claimed that a reporter faked the circumstances related in this report. A Gadling writer questions the government's credibility, though, and I share his skepticism.

The food fight between China and the U.S. ratcheted up a notch last week, or so it seems. China has blocked imports of some American chicken and pork after detecting bacteria or chemical contamination. This strikes me as ironic since at the same time, Chinese street vendors sell treats consisting mostly of cardboard.

The Chinese meat import market, served by, among others, Tyson Foods (NYSE: TSN) and Cargill, is already suffering a pork shortage, (and threatening to dip into its strategic pork reserve).

In a related story, AP wrote last week on a China Central Television report highlighting the country's problems with food safety. State TV's undercover investigation witnessed sidewalk vendors preparing their popular steamed bun using a mixture of 60% chemical-soaked cardboard to stretch the usual sliced pork and spices. The investigator found the result rather flavorless.

Perhaps there is an export market for used White Castle hamburger sleeves? They would be full of flavor.

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