The safety of Chinese products—including processed chicken, pet treats and other foods—which are shipped to the United States was the topic of a bipartisan congressional hearing Tuesday by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ-04), of the bipartisan Commission on China.

    “The safety of food, feed, and drugs from China are a cause for real concern. American consumers are rightly anxious,” said Smith. “We have pet treats that may have sickened and/or killed pets, a virus may decimate 10 percent of American pigs—possibly from vitamins or feed from China—and we have food products, including processed chicken—that does not have to be labeled as being “Made in China.”  In fact, some may even be labeled "Made in America."

    Major U.S. pet stores have announced they would stop selling dog and cat treats made in China following the deaths of 1,000 dogs which may be linked to pet treats from China. Chickens raised in the United States may now be shipped to China for processing before being sold in the United States. And researchers are exploring the connection between China and the serious outbreak of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus in U.S. pigs. These developments have highlighted concerns over the effectiveness of China’s food safety regulation, the effectiveness of U.S. government regulation of imported foods from China, and the overall safety of such foods. They also raise questions about whether current labels are adequate in helping American consumers determine when foods or their components come from China.

    “Transparency is absolutely necessary for any government to protect the health of its citizens and to effectively manage problems related to food and drug safety,” Smith said. “Free speech, a free press, and freedom of association would allow crusading journalists and civil society to expose health scandals and work toward open solutions. Those who try to skirt the law for profit would be exposed and citizens could work together, with their government, to ensure better and healthier food and water.  A free press--and "muckraking" journalists--certainly helped to bring better food safety in the United States.” Click here to read Smith's opening remarks.

    The congressional hearing entitled “Pet Treats and Processed Chicken from China: Concerns for American Consumers and Pets” and featured opening testimony by Dr. Daniel L. Engeljohn, Assistant Administrator and in charge of the Food Safety and Inspection Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Tracey Forfa, Deputy Director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

    Also testifying were Shaun Kennedy, Director of the Food System Institute; Adjunct Associate Prof., Dept. of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Univ. of Minn., Patty Lovera, Assistant Director, Food & Water Watch, and Christopher D’Urso, Student and Consumer Advocate of Colts Neck, N.J. (click on names to read testimonies)

    D’Urso, 17, and a recent high school graduate, said he learned about country of origin labeling (COOL) laws after an incident in Christmas 2011. After eating pignoli cookies, he contracted “pine mouth,” a condition marked by bitter metallic taste for several days. He discovered this was caused by a cheaper, inedible species of pine nuts commonly substituted by Chinese companies. Upon examining the bag of pine nuts, discovered it did not have COOL and consequently began his own investigation.

    “Consumers have the fundamental right to know information about products in order to make educated purchasing decisions,” said D’Urso. “Increasing imports from countries such as China may pose significant safety concerns.  The Congressional Research Service estimates that only 11% of pork, 30% of beef, 39% of chicken, and 40% of fruits and vegetables may be required to have COOL.”

    “I want to thank Mr. Chris D’Urso for bringing this last issue to my attention,” Smith said. “Last year he met with me and my staff and shared his research and findings regarding country of origin labeling laws for the United States. The thoroughness and level of understanding of such a complex and international issue was impressive. Chinese imports are increasing, and many U.S. companies will purchase materials or products in China and assemble them here. Americans may not know what they are getting, and this poses significant health risks especially with food products, dietary supplements, or generic drugs. Having researched this issue since 2012, Chris rightly pointed to the inadequacies of current laws and the fact that consumers have the right to know the country of origin of products, especially when ingested. I believe his future contribution to his community, country, and even beyond will be significant.”

  Forfa said that as of May 1, 2014, FDA has received approximately 4,800 such reports of involving illnesses in more than 5,600 dogs, 24 cats, and more than 1,000 canine deaths. FDA uses a system called the Pet Event Tracking Network (PETNet) to share information about emerging pet-food-related illnesses and product defects. PETNet is a secure network launched in August 2011 that allows the exchange of information between FDA and other Federal and state regulatory agencies.

“China is the source of a large and growing volume of imported foods, drugs, and ingredients,” Forfa said. “Every product imported from abroad must meet the same standards as those produced here in the United States. Firms always have the primary responsibility to produce safe products, but it is important that governments provide meaningful and robust regulation to ensure public safety. FDA is continuing its work with Chinese officials to help them improve their regulatory system and educate them on the new standards that are being implemented in our regulatory system.”

    Engeljohn, Assistant Administrator of USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service’s (FSIS) testified about the current state of U.S. regulatory oversight of poultry exported from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for human food.

    “United States is not importing any chicken that was slaughtered in China,” Engeljohn said. “A March 2013 audit found China’s poultry slaughter system not equivalent to that in the United States.”

    However, he said a FSIS reaffirmed in August 2013 that the PRC’s poultry processing inspection system is equivalent to that of the United States. FSIS will conduct annual on-site audits of the PRC’s inspection system for processed poultry for at least the next 3 years.