China says bogus buns story 'faked'

[demoleft]

Source: Al Jazeera

A China journalist has been arrested for fabricating a report about street vendors who used chemical-soaked cardboard to fill meat buns, state media says.

The Beijing municipal government said investigations had found that the Beijing Television freelance reporter had fabricated the story for higher audience ratings, the China Daily reported.

The story, allegedly shot with a hidden camera, was broadcast on Beijing Television and relayed nationwide by China Central Television last week and created a buzz on the internet, with netizens flooding chatrooms with comments expressing shock and disgust.

Meanwhile, the US president ordered top aides on Wednesday to review the safety of imports into the US amid public concerns over goods from China.



Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B2DCF1FA-98B3-4F0C-B130-AF33DFD2C624.htm

---

I suppose it's we also the "netizens flooding chatrooms with comments expressing shock and disgust" and buzzing on the internet.

Who's guilty? A journalist. Of course.
Well, knowing that he put his life at serious risk in that country, his genial plan was to fabricate the story for higher audience.
Is it believable?

We have to believe.
It's called official truth.

[demoleft]

1. Food fraud: italian paper denounces possible depenalization. And hinders it!

Some days ago the biggest Italian paper denounced an attempt to depenalize food fraud in Italy.

Italy's Health Ministery denies anything like this is undergoing. It doesn't state the paper was wrong, it states the whole subject is still being defined and nothing certain has been concluded.

The paper reported that the new law meant to depenalize food frauds committed with more or less awareness by what I call pure criminals. Those villains who serve us or sell us fish, bread, meat, wine adultered or some way poisoned or some way produced and distributed out of the legal standards could just end facing a fine - from 10000 to 80000 euros - and NOT trial and prison.

Fines may even become convenient and cheap for big distributors, importers and businesses: you may pay once after you've gained so much money that those figures don't impress you that much.

No more trial nor jail, unless the adulteration is extremely serious or kills someone. That's still called murder, in my Country, I hope...

The new law involved import, distribution, production. Insanitary and unhygienic conditions, conditions unfit for human consumption were meant to result in cheaper consequences for the criminals. Can you imagine the danger with imported products? Can you imagine the business?
The Radio networks have been discussing this too these days. And the associations too.

According to the paper, a fine (100,000 euro at large: the highest) was meant to hit those who speak out news that spread panic or fear among the consumers!
Pay attention: not only those who published false news, but also those who distributed disturbing news should be punished.

After all these protests, I don't think the government will go on. But the simple fact that someone tried to pass it in silence - it's a shame!

The source: the article, only in Italian http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/Cronache/2007/07_Luglio/16/Cibo_adulterato.shtml

The brief Minister's note to clear its position, only in Italian, in *.rtf:
http://www.ministerosalute.it/imgs/C_17_comunicati_1320_testo.rtf

[freeplessinseattle]

2. I think Jack-in-the-Box has been doing this for years

their fries are pretty suspect, too.

[Berry Cool]

3. So what does it say about our faith in food in China today

that our newspapers and broadcast networks picked this up and repeated it as gospel truth?

They should be concerned.

[youngdem]

4. Well, they DO use HUMAN HAIR in bread

Which brings me back to the possibility that human hair may be used in bread. A vegetarian friend alerted me to the existence of an animal-based flour additive called L-Cysteine. It is an amino acid which is used as a flour improver. It is known as E920 and is permitted for use in all biscuits, breads and cakes except those that claim to be wholemeal.

The problem for a would-be vegan like me is that traditionally L-Cysteine is produced from feathers, pig bristles and sometimes even human hair. These days L-Cysteine can also be produced synthetically but apparently human hair remains one of the richest sources of this amino acid – it makes up about 14% of your hair - and there is a small industry in China making the additive from hair clippings.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/2007/01/does_your_daily_bread_contain_human_hair.html

[madfloridian]

14. I had not heard that. Yuck.

Thanks for posting that.

[INDIA]

5. So I guess everybody is just going to accept the word of Aljazeera and

the Chinese government as gospel? You can't be serious. I'll need to hear a lot more either way, but I value the voice of the Chinese government and Aljazeera somewhere beneath Chicken Little.

[w4rma]

6. I'll accept anyone's word over the Chinese government's. China is imprisoning a journalist

for saying things that might hurt Chinese big business. The journalist is being imprisoned as a warning to other Chinese journalists who might want to stand up and tell people about Chinese governmental corruption.

[demoleft]

9. Exactly. Moreover, should I believe a journalist puts his life at stake just for audience?

...come on, we're not children.

Free lance journalism and internet are the last resources for freedom in countries like China and Russia.
"The rest is silence", as it seems.

Some days ago similar statement from that government over the World Bank survey being conditioned. Here:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/05/news/china.php
Here the news about that report: http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSHKG10337220070717?feedType=RSS

So, as usual, their statement is: everybody lies. We don't!
Not believable.

[madfloridian]

15. Interesting post.

:hi:

[Taverner]

10. Yep I'm with you there

Most likely he will be executed to send a message

[conspirator]

7. Where there is smoke there is fire. At least part of the story must be true.

They are covering up.

[hatrack]

8. Yeah, the Chinese government would NEVER lie about something like this . . .

:eyes:

[demoleft]

11. The World Health Organization states: "Food safety 'big problem' for all"

Of course it is, and I believe it. I even posted on Italy here!!

Here, the WHO report: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr39/en/index.html
China's position, here on China Daily http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-07/19/content_5438993.htm

[SayWhatYo]

12. I thought it sounded funny.

You can't trust the western media, they will grab on to anything to make the Chinese look bad.

[Nihil]

13. Yeah, right ...

> You can't trust the western media, they will grab on to anything to make
> the Chinese look bad.

Like they need to work hard at this?
CO2 generation, pollution, toxic rivers, extermination of wildlife,
eating anything they can put in a pot, selling anything they can get
a profit for ... and that's only the Chinese, wait till you get to
the rest of the world ...
:P

[otherlander]

16. The story doesn't even give his full name.

All it says is that his last name is Zi.