Summary:
Clenbuterol, commonly used in the West as a performance enhancing drug, has been cropping in the Chinese meat supply and particularly in pork, the meat of choice for most Chinese. The drug burns fat and promotes muscle growth and in pork it makes the meat pinker, allowing it to look fresher longer. The drug can cause stomach pains, diarrhea, and dangerous heart palpations, which on rare occasions have led to death. Lean meat powder, as it is known in China, is illegal and the laws impose harsh penalties on those caught using it, but the huge numbers of small, unlicensed pig farms throughout the country, as well rampant bribery, has made enforcement difficult. Chinese officials are working to impose more stringent laws and step up enforcement and the drug has been eliminated from the major cities, like Beijing and Shanghai, it is still quite prolific in smaller cities and rural areas.
Significance:
Clenbuterol is commonly consider the biggest food health problem in nation that has been plagued by contaminated baby formula, milk laced with industrial chemicals, and cancer-causing eggs. The drugs wide distribution says alot about the changes going on in China. An increasily health conscience people are demanding leaner pork, which has led to clenbuterol's heavy usage. The drug also illustrates the ongoing the conflict between the rural farmers and the urban-based government. The US once dealt with its own food health problems in the early 20th century and we are now seeing the same thing in China over one hundred years later. It just goes to show the challenges posed by the modern economy, and in particular agribusiness, developing in China. The outcome of this ongoing issue will set a precedence as to how China handles all quality control issues in the future.
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