The world's largest inspection and testing company SGS has
cleared candy brand White Rabbit of a claim that its products
contain formaldehyde and other harmful substances.
The allegation was made by the Philippines' bureau of food and
drugs under its health department.
Weng Mao, general manager of Guan Sheng Yuan (Group) Ltd, the
manufacturer of White Rabbit sweets, said the Philippines' food
authority was "extremely irresponsible" in condemning the candy
without evidence.
Weng said the independent verification and testing agency had
played a major role in helping the company defend itself against
the allegation.
Certification
An anonymous inspector at the Shanghai branch of SGS-CSTC, a
joint venture under Switzerland-based SGS that conducted the White
Rabbit candy laboratory test, said transnational certification
institutes could help Chinese manufacturers access the
international market efficiently and reduce unnecessary risks.
"As an independent inspection and testing agency, we cherish our
reputation as a reliable and authoritative third-party judge of
product quality assessment, so we provide fair and objective
testing and verification services to our clients," said the
researcher, adding that SGS's product quality certificates are
recognized by the international market.
Tan Yihong, a professor at the University of International
Business and Economics, said quality problems in some Chinese
products result from varying global standards and manufacturers
should get internationally recognized certificates to protect
themselves.
The SGS researcher said many countries, especially key importers
like the United States and European Union member nations,
frequently update and draw up new quality standards to protect
consumers and local businesses - and this can act as a trade
barrier for exporters.
"We have carried out many quality verifications and inspections
of Chinese products. The bulk of them are good and even above
international standards," said Sangem Hsu, business director of the
certification company's Northeast Asian branch.
"But different national standards and inaccurate data has led to
many exports being pegged as defective."
Last month, US toy maker Mattel recalled 20.2 million China-made
products because of hazards from small magnets and fears over the
use of paint containing lead.
Flaws
A report by two Canadian business professors concluded that most
recalls of toys made in China are due to design flaws, not
manufacturing problems or the lead paint issue.
The report, which looked at Chinese-made toy recalls by
investigating those issued by the US Consumer Product Safety
Commission from 1988 to August this year, found that of the 550 toy
recalls, 76.4 percent are due to problems that could be attributed
to design flaws.
Of the 20.2 million toys recalled by Mattel in the past month,
80 percent contained small magnets - a design flaw, according to
the report.
However, media focus has been on the lead paint issue, according
to Hari Bapuji, a professor at the University of Manitoba, who
prepared the report with Paul W Beamish, a professor at the
University of Western Ontario.
"Companies like Mattel have a responsibility to ensure that the
products they bring to China to be manufactured were safe and
conform to the standards of this part of the world," Bapuji
said.
Germany-based product quality inspection and testing institute
TV SD said the quality problem is an issue in any marketplace.
Andreas Bauer, an executive of the group, said the quality of
Chinese products is constantly improving due to economic
development, technological upgrading and efforts by the government
and local producers.
Bauer said it is wrong to exaggerate the safety concerns of all
Chinese products based on the toy recalls.
Germany is no exception when it comes to quality problems, said
Bauer. The country has recently been hit by a string of "rotten
meat" scandals.
(China Daily October 15, 2007)
