Are Consumers Safe Using Products Imported from China?

The United States Food and Drug Administration recently reported that its Commissioner met with leading officials in China, as part of a series of negotiations with Chinese counterparts on the safety of food, feed, drugs and medical devices.

China supplies a vast number of products to the U.S., including many of the ingredients used in both over the counter and prescription medications imported to or made in the United States. Over the past year, there have been many recalls of Chinese manufactured products, including toys, pet food, counterfeit glucose testing strips and tainted toothpaste, as well as investigations into counterfeit medications.

With so many potentially dangerous and even life-threatening occurrences happening, are consumers to feel safe about using these imported products? Moreover, is it fair to the consumer when they don't even know where the products that are used in their every day lives originate from?

A massive recall of counterfeit OneTouch blood glucose test strips affected nine countries over the past year. LifeScan, a leading manufacturer of blood glucose manufacturing products, and the makers of this brand, report that these counterfeit products were not authentic, and not made by the company.

LifeScan's website provided customers with the information necessary to distinguish the counterfeit strips from the real ones, and also alerted consumers in August that a Shanghai court has convicted a Chinese businessman for distributing the counterfeit OneTouch Test Strips. He faces a sentence of more than 3 years in prison and additional penalties, which were not detailed.

Mattel recently recalled hundreds of thousands of toys, manufactured in China that contained high levels of lead. In March, the FDA learned that contaminants in vegetable proteins imported into the United States from China and used as ingredients in pet food certain pet foods were sickening and killing cats and dogs.

Earlier this year, the FDA warned consumers to avoid using any toothpaste made in China, due to a poisonous chemical, diethylene glycol (DEG), that was found in Chinese made toothpaste in several countries. This chemical is commonly used in anti-freeze.

In separate cases this year and last, the FDA reports to have investigated counterfeit importation of the drugs Percocet, Viagra and Cialis and Lipitor to both Philadelphia and Washington from China. These medications were purchased by individuals who intended to sell the medication over the internet, and possibly by other means.

Unfortunately, consumers are not aware of the potential dangers of these products until they have already reached large numbers of people. Although the FDA says it is making efforts to ensure that products are safe, consumers who wish not to use imported products often don't have a choice, particularly if they don't know where materials used in their every day products, including medications, are coming from.

It is important that concerned consumers stay as aware as possible as to what is going on with products they buy and use every day. The FDA posts current as well as past information as to the actions it has taken regarding products - many times these topics may not make local newscasts, so it is important for people to seek out this information themselves. In addition, manufacturer websites usually have the most up-to-date information about their products.

In addition, state and federal Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG's) look deeper into issues that may be of concern to the community. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is also an organization that can be helpful in obtaining important information.

While the average person unfortunately cannot be 100 percent sure of what goes into products that they shouldn't have to think twice about, there are ways to find out a little bit more about things that are often essentials in every day life.