BEIJING, Sept. 21 -- Many
foreign companies, including PepsiCo and Mead Johnson, from 25 countries have
been blacklisted from a monthly report by a State Council watchdog in charge of
product quality.
Among the companies
blacklisted, the most prominent name was PepsiCo, which has its international
branch based in New York. Nearly 38 tons of frozen concentrated orange juice
that the firm allegedly imported from Louis Dreyfus Citrus Trading LDA in Brazil
in July were found with excessive yeast, according to the website of the General
Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. Excessive
yeast causes foods to spoil faster.
The watchdog issues its report monthly and names
unqualified imported goods. Though the blacklisting has no economic impact on
the companies listed, the banned products are either returned or destroyed.
Mead Johnson, the pharmaceutical based in the US
state of Illinois, allegedly imported 300 kg of baby formula in July with
substandard protein content.
The popular Danisa Butter Cookies, imported from
Indonesia in July, were found to have excessive bacteria. It's uncertain what
bacteria was found or what effects it would have had on a consumer. The list
also found that the Carrefour-brand of candies from France contained the banned
dye Quinoline yellow, according to the list.
Some other 150 batches of food, beverages and
cosmetics from more than 20 countries were also deemed unqualified in border
checks in July. According to the list, a quarter of the substandard products
came from the US.
In response to the blacklist, PepsiCo said in a
statement yesterday the substandard orange juice was found by the company
itself.
"PepsiCo applies strict quality testing standards to
imported fruit juice concentrates and accepts under no circumstances products
that fail to meet quality inspection standards," the statement said.
Christina Li, director of PepsiCo China Public
Relations, said the company found the unqualified frozen orange concentrates
imported from Brazil and then informed the Chinese customs about it.
"All relevant products have been returned to the
suppliers in the origin country," Li said.
Calls to other companies named in the list, such as
Mead Johnson, were unanswered yesterday.
Early this year, Taiwan's Wei Chuan infant milk
powder containing potentially fatal bacteria was recalled without entering the
mainland market, the report from August to November showed.
Previous reports also show that part of the imported
formula was unqualified.
Chinese tags are important for foreign products
entering China, an official told China National Radio on Saturday, adding that
imported products without Chinese labels are likely to be imported
illegally.
(Source: China Daily)
