Thinking twice about Chinese food

A few people – both locals and expats – have advised me to be cautious when eating out. While the general rule of avoiding roadside stalls and dining at reputable eateries applies, how can we tell if the restaurants use safe ingredients and not “gutter oil” (reprocessed waste oil)?

A few days ago, I walked past a makeshift food stall at the side of a commercial building, which offered economy rice meals for the lunch crowd. A passer-by was overheard telling her companion, “Let’s not buy here. You never know where the food comes from.”

In this country where food scandals arise often, people have every reason to question the quality of the food they consume. Tainted baby formula, fake eggs, fake honey, rat meat being sold as mutton, and the recent case of 46-year-old chicken feet that made shocking headlines all over the world, leave a bad impression on consumers.

Where is the conscience of the culprits?

Even today, many parents still prefer to buy imported baby milk powder for their children.

Some consumers even resort to inspecting their food and using safety tests, according to a report by the BBC. A Beijing-based company offers a variety of test kits for food products including milk, water, fruits and vegetables, oil, honey, meat and others. The kits are said to be able to detect the presence of substances like melamine in milk, pesticide in farm produce, residual chlorine in water and clenbuterol, a growth promoting chemical found in meat.

Then there is also the option of choosing certified organic products, which come with a label that differentiates them from their counterparts on the shelves in the supermarkets.

In Beijing, a group of expats and artists took matters into their own hands by setting up the Beijing Farmers’ Market in September 2010. They began by inviting small organic farms with a long-standing history in Beijing to participate. From slightly more than a hundred visitors, the market (also known as “Country Fair”) now draws several thousand ardent followers. Held at different locations every Saturday and Sunday, it provides a platform for consumers and producers who grow organically to meet directly. Fruits, vegetables, poultry, milk, meat, rice wine, artisan food like French-styled cheese made with local milk, sustainable products and handicrafts are offered by around 30 farmers and vendors.

Beijing Farmers’ Market coordinator Chang Tianle said most of the farmers at the market were not organic certified. One of the reasons that puts them off is the high cost.

“A news report said 15 per cent of the price you pay for an organic product goes to the certification. Farmers with bigger farms want to be certified organic because they are required to, if they want to sell their products in supermarkets. Also, they do not have close contact with consumers, so they need the certification to build trust,” she said.

Chang added that the farms need to have each of their crops certified organic, which is not financially viable for small family farms.

“In addition, the public’s trust in the organic certification is low in China. Even if a farm pays the high price, it doesn’t necessarily get the trust it is supposed to get. Therefore, sometimes it is a business decision for the farmers not to get certified. They don’t find it worthwhile to spend so much and get so little in return,” Chang opined.

The foundation of the relationship between the farmers, consumers and market organiser is built on trust.

“The customers get to know the farmers directly through the market, and some have also visited their farms. Therefore, the farmers do not need someone else to tell the customers that they can be trusted,” Chang said.

While the customers shop at the Beijing Farmers’ Market for food safety reasons, Chang said the market is also fuelled by the belief that organic agriculture is more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

By supporting local growers, consumers are also reducing food mileage.

“The products also taste better, as they are fresh and ripe. The products themselves speak of their own quality,” she said.

Chang added that similar markets have been set up in other parts of China as well, including Shanghai, Tianjin, Xi’an, Chengdu and Sichuan.