Le péril jaune : doit-on avoir peur des produits « Made in China » ?

In the last months, three outbreaks shattered the international opinion, questioning the safety and security of “Made in China” products, whether they were consumables, foodstuffs or pharmaceuticals. Dimethylfumarate-contaminated Chinese armchairs and shoes recently caused a hundred cases of contact dermatitis in France. This toxic chemical was used as an anti-mould preventive agent. Melamine-adulterated milk powder formula resulted in 294,000 affections, 50,000 hospitalizations, and six deaths among Chinese babies. This harmful chemical, previously known to induce renal stones and tubular necrosis in animals fed with contaminated pet food, was added to increase the protein content in the milk. Finally, heparin contaminated with oversulfated chondroitin sulphate was responsible in the US for 500 cases of severe adverse anaphylatoid reactions including 91 fatalities. These three non-infectious outbreaks were related to either accidental or fraudulent contamination with harmful chemicals. These disasters highlight the necessity to reinforce controls of marketed consumables and develop a reliable quality-insurance policy to secure the food and pharmaceutical supplies. At the time of Internet and globalization, these actions clearly require international cooperation in order to become efficient.