Chinese blames Panamanian traders for tainted drugs

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Source: CCTV.com | 06-01-2007 13:42

Vice Minister of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, Wei Chuanzhong answers questions asked by reporters at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on Thursday, May 31, 2007. [Photo: china.com.cn]

Food and drug safety officials have released the results of their probe into how Chinese-made chemicals found their way into Panama. They say two Chinese companies sold a chemical to Spain in 2003, where it was then sold to Panama.

This chemical contains ingredients frequently used as syrup in medicines and toothpaste. Recently Panama announced that a number of people had died after taking cough syrup, and media reports have been pointing the finger at China. Now officials say their research show direct responsibility lies with Panamanian traders.

Wei Chuanzhong, deputy Quality Inspection Bureau, said, "Panamanian traders renamed the product as pure glycerine, which is a medical ingredient. They changed the expiry date to indicate that it would be valid for an extra three years, and sold it on. Actually it had already expired two years ago. "

Officials also addressed recent coverage of China's food exports by the international media. They criticized some media outlets for stirring up fears about the safety of Chinese food and drugs.

Li Yuanping, deputy Food Safety Import/Export DIV. said, "Facts speak louder than words. The figures are not made through guess-work. 99% of our food undergoes quality checks, which is a high ratio. Recently, there have been a lot of reports in the media concerning China's food safety. These reports are sensationalising figures."

Editor:Du Xiaodan