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Tuesday, May 29, 2007

For China, Lax Regulation is a Lethal Mistake

David Michaels at The Pump Handle blog pointed out this incredible piece of news from the Associated Press.

A Chinese court has sentenced to death the former head of the State Food and Drug Administration Zheng Xiaoyu. Zheng, roughly the equivalent of the U.S.'s FDA commissioner, was convicted of taking bribes which ultimately led to the approval of pharmaceuticals with deadly side effects.

Capital punishment is a grave overreaction. Nonetheless, China's food and drug safety record has been atrocious and is beginning to leech into the United States. The AP article rattles off a number of recent food contamination scares originating in China (pet food, toothpaste, monkfish and catfish).

China's top drug regulator gets death sentence [AP via MSNBC]