Food safety concerns increasing in China, says study

A new IBM study revealed that concern over food safety has dramatically increased in China. The new study shows that over the last two years in China, distrust with food retailers and manufacturers has grown even more than it has in the United States (U.S.) and United Kingdom (UK). The study, titled Full Value Traceability, examines Chinese consumer values and confidence related to food and product safety.

Product contaminations and food recalls have become more commonplace across the globe. Melamine -- a toxic chemical widely used to make plastics and glue -- was recently found in Chinese infant formula and sickened more than 294,000 people, according to reports from China's Ministry of Health. The scope of the problem quickly multiplied to include a wide range of products containing milk sourced from China. As a result, sales of staple products, such as milk, chocolate, ice cream, candy and more, have plunged worldwide. Food safety and traceability issues are addressed this week in a guest blog post by Guy Blissett, co-author of the study, on the Building a Smarter Planet blog.

Read the full article here