My friend Viola and I have been swapping healthy recipes regularly for years, and whenever either of us comes across new health-focused literature, like our recent book, The science and art of longevity If we learn something new, whether it’s a new book by Dr. Peter Attiah, or new science on longevity, or a healthy ingredient we bought at the supermarket, we immediately tell each other about it.
Replacing foods high in saturated fats, such as bacon with salmon, and lard, high in saturated fats, with olive oil, has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack and premature death. Meat intake should be less than 200g per day, and vegetables up to 500g, but fish should be eaten at least twice a week. Sweets and refined flour should be consumed in moderation, in small, controlled amounts. When cooking, measure oil and salt to limit your intake.
This scandal was devastating. Suddenly, we felt like our healthy lifestyles were a joke. No matter how carefully we planned our meals, how closely we watched our calories, how hard we tried to eliminate risk, if fuel had been unknowingly adulterated with our cooking oils, what could we do?
01:15
China launches high-level investigation after reports fuel tanker was carrying edible oil
China launches high-level investigation after reports fuel tanker was carrying edible oil
However, sometimes it is too late to address food scandals once they have been exposed in the media, and the public cannot afford to wait: governments need to strengthen food safety regulations and oversight to prevent such scandals in the first place.
Under China’s food hygiene law, violators can be fined up to 50,000 yuan (US$6,890) or have their hygiene permit revoked. This is not enough punishment: Food manufacturers and sellers can be criminally prosecuted, but this is usually only done after consumers have suffered serious harm, such as in the 2008 melamine baby poisoning case.
03:54
How Feiwa overcame the 2008 tainted milk scandal to become China’s largest milk powder company
How Feiwa overcame the 2008 tainted milk scandal to become China’s largest milk powder company
Food production needs to be better monitored, products need to be more carefully tested before they hit the market, and government regulators need to be held accountable when scandals occur.
In the milk powder case, several officials who were punished for mismanagement were reportedly returned to power just a few years later. This is disappointing for the public and shows that some authorities still do not take food safety seriously enough. Punishing officials involved in food safety scandals in the same way as corrupt officials might boost consumer confidence.
It’s too hard for ordinary people to be aware of health risks. You can’t monitor the many links in the food chain, from production to sale. Believe me, I’ve tried. Governments and big corporations need to do more if they want to regain consumer confidence.
Phoebe Chang is a society reporter at The Post.
