Like the USA, China struggles with food and environmental safety too.  While we here seem to face recalls, and illnesses stemming from them, on a daily basis – hamburger, pot pies and pizzas over just the last few weeks, China has its own set of challenges – And, four times the number of people.

China approves food safety law

The Chinese government approved in principle on Wednesday a new food safety law aimed at raising standards at every level of production, a senior official said. "This law totally covers how to standardize our food products’ production, processing, sale and supervision," Li told reporters. "I believe that the promulgation of this law will certainly effectively raise China’s food safety situation and guarantee food safety and people’s health," he said, but gave no timetable. The law mandates better release of information about food safety issues, higher fines for wayward firms and punishment of officials who act irresponsibly, and guarantees the public’s right to compensation and to sue, the central government said on its Web site (www.gov.cn). Food imports and exports will also be more closely examined, it added.

Polluted harbor hits Batman stunt

Batman may have a body of steel, but the caped crusader is no match for the pollution in Hong Kong’s iconic harbor. A scene in which Batman was to drop from a plane into the harbor has been axed after the movie’s producers found the water quality could pose a potential health risk, the South China Morning post reported. "But when they checked a water sample, they found all sorts of things, salmonella and tuberculosis, so it was cancelled. Now the action will cut to inside a building."

And, it gave me another excuse to show some more photos of my last trip to China.  There is also next years Food Safety Conference in Beijing – September 2008.