Risky knockoff food products and beverages popular in rural areas
- Source: Global Times
- [02:24 March 12 2010]
- Comments
By Xu Shenglan
Counterfeit food product and beverages without quality assurance certificates or production permits are sold widely in rural areas, posing health risks to villagers and especially children, a published report said.
China Quality Survey Magazine reported Thursday, ahead of International Consumer Rights Day on Monday, that fake Nutri-Express, a milk shake beverage, is sold for as little as 20 yuan ($2.9) per box at grocery stores in Jiaxiang county, Jining, Shandong Province. Counterfeit products are sold for much less than genuine ones.
Coca-Cola, Mizone Formulated Sports Water and milk products from Yili and Mengniu are also reproduced illegally.
"Farmers are poor and they have no awareness of brands; they'd love to buy something cheaper," said one female vendor.
A beverage wholesaler said that large-scale shopping malls and supermarkets have strict quality control measures so counterfeit beverages could only enter rural markets and small stands.
"The trade price of the counterfeits of Yili milk is only 5.5 yuan ($0.8) per box, much cheaper than the mineral water," said an insider from a beverage company.
"Some shop owners contact us to order the products when they found the counterfeits are more popular than the real ones," said a counterfeit beverage wholesaler surnamed Wang.
Ma Zhenshui, head of the Industry and Commerce Bureau of Yinxiang township, Shandong, said authorities are enhancing supervision and they will crack down on the knockoffs.
Similar counterfeit products flourish in some counties and townships in other provinces.
Experts said it's immoral to send poor quality foods to rural areas.
"Most of the counterfeits are eaten by kids, a group with weak detoxification and excretory functions and are sensitive to stimulants; accidental intake of problem foods will cause great harm to their health," an unidentified expert was quoted as saying.
Hu Xiaosong, the dean of the School of Food, Chinese Agricultural University, said knockoffs of food products have been a problem in rural areas for a long time.
"The government should spend more to supervise and punish the producers of knock-offs to protect the welfare of the public," he told the Global Times Thursday.
