Reuters AlertNet Lite - China's army worries about threat to food safety

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China's army worries about threat to food safety

13 Jul 2007 01:14:18 GMT
Source: Reuters

BEIJING, July 13 (Reuters) - China's growing list of food safety scandals has now prompted its army to step up checks on where its rations come from, a state newspaper said on Friday.

The People's Liberation Army -- whose 2.3 million servicemen make it the world's largest military -- will only be allowed to order food from suppliers who pass local government hygiene and safety tests, the official China Daily said.

"To strengthen food safety is to guarantee the PLA's combat capacity," it quoted Zhou Pengjun, an official at the General Logistics Department, as saying.

Canteens have to install more dishwashers, food will be sampled regularly and most staff will not be allowed to share food from common dishes as is the usual custom in China, the report said.

The army has also pledged to share information with civilian food and safety officials, the newspaper added.

China is reeling from a steady series of revelations about the poor state of its food and drugs, with new cases uncovered almost daily.

This week, domestic media reported on dumplings found to have been stuffed with cardboard scraps.

Public fears about food safety grew in 2004, when at least 13 babies died of malnutrition in Anhui province, in eastern China, after they were fed fake milk powder with no nutritional value.

The revelations have grabbed global attention after patients in Panama died from poisonous ingredients in medicine and pets died in the United States from substandard feed, while tainted Chinese toothpaste was found in Central America and elsewhere.

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Last updated:Fri Jul 13 01:15:19 2007