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"Quick-drying glue -- don't worry if you accidentally glue some things together, they are easily separated. Wooden chop sticks -- they shorten over time to let you know when to throw them away. Parts of them splinter off to be used as tooth-picks. Airtight containers -- if you store kimchi or sauces in them, they'll automatically breathe themselves. Sprays -- their nozzles will gradually widen until the products can be used as water guns. Thermometers -- they keep the room temperature at the same level year round. Shavers -- they are handy when you don't have a potato peeler. Pencils -- their leads fall out and can be replaced easily..."
¢ºThese of course are jokes found online about the "strong points" of Chinese products. They may be slight exaggerations, but they've become very popular lately. It is generally understood that Chinese imports are poorly made, and consumers are often duped by their shoddy quality. It's not just industrial products, the same goes with agricultural products and food items. In fact there have been several scandals around the globe involving dangerous additives and dubious hygiene standards for Chinese-made food products.
¢ºEarlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalled 60 million cans of Chinese-made pet food after they were discovered to contain melanin, a poisonous substance. Another scandal erupted over the use of harmful antibiotics in cultured seafood from China such as Far Eastern catfish, Japanese dace, sea rundace, eel and shrimps. Now amid the widespread fear of harmful Chinese foods, some health food retailers are marketing their products by labeling them "China-free," meaning their goods contain no ingredients from China.
¢ºIt has been discovered that many Korean restaurants specializing in beef-rib soup or beef-kneebone soup use canned food from China. Some of these foods have been found to contain more than 10,000 times the permissible level of E. coli. Not long ago a TV show disgusted its audience by showing the filthy working conditions of a Chinese food factory. There have been several controversial incidents in the past of insect eggs found in kimchi from China.
¢ºChinese food imports to Korea will likely top W4 trillion (US$1=W932) this year, up more than 30 percent from last year's W3 trillion. Nearly every restaurant throughout the country is said to be using Chinese imports. According to a newspaper report on Tuesday, a W6,000 kimchi stew costs W2,048 when it¡¯s made with Chinese ingredients, but W5,310 when made from local materials. In other words, you'll lose a lot of money, including your workers' wages and your shop's rent if you rely on just Korean ingredients. If you don't want to ruin your business, you have no choice but to use Chinese imports. Under these circumstances the government is obliged to carry out thorough inspections of food imports. It should at least require that all food imports indicate their country of origin. Otherwise how can we feel confident any time we dine out in Korea?
This column was contributed by Chosun Ilbo in-house columnist Kim Ki-cheon.
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