Food-safety is a kind of Chinese pain produced not only by local companies but also by foreign companies, even some famous internal companies such as McDonald’s and Carrefour are exposed these kind of scandals.
According to "McDonald's, Carrefour Apologize to Chinese Consumer", Burkitt L. states because China Central Television accuses McDonald's fast food and Carrefour selling expired chicken, the two companies express their apologies to Chinese customers. The two companies both attribute their violation to employees’ mistakes. CCTV, a station-owned television station, is an important way to help the public to safeguard interests of consumers on World Consumer-Rights Day (March 15). Whatever in which business spheres or which country’s companies, violate operations which harm consumers’ benefit probably become their targets. Burkitt lists examples: HP generates inferior tablets and China Merchants Bank sells customers’ information.
Although it is a good news that McDonald's and Carrefour apologize, it isn’t enough to safeguard consumer’s right. An apology of a company on their website is one kind of sales and marketing strategy rather than a real and efficient modification to their work. The public need real punishment to companies’ violations which might be reduction sale or die out so that they will never commit same mistakes again. Obviously, McDonald's or Carrefour which already monopolizes the relevant market in China couldn’t be punished in those ways, that is to say, their sale will not be affected seriously even their products don’t up to standard sometimes.
It goes without saying, checking goods’ quality is routine jobs of Quality Inspection Bureau. Why they are in scrimshank? CCTV usually uncovers one or two companies’ problem about food-safety on March 15. How about other days a year? How about the other problem companies which don’t have chances to appear on TV? When they can be revealed and by who?
Most Chinese can discern that Food-safety in China isn’t an issue about food. It shows a government’s inability and corruption behind it. Yes, it is a corruption which is a cancer hampering our economy and society developing healthily and normally.
References
Burkitt, L. (2012, March 16). McDonald's, Carrefour Apologize to Chinese Consumers. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 17, 2012 from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304459804577285023783102062.html?mod=WSJ_business_whatsNews
I immediately thought of the big scandal about melamine in milk a year of two ago. I think some people were executed for that. Is that right? (My memory isn't perfect, and I'm being a bit lazy.)
ReplyDeleteI have a couple of other comments, but I'll post them later.