Premier: food safety law violations carry low penalties in China

Recently, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang mentioned the melamine incident in the executive meeting. He said, the reason for the tainted milk incident is the small punishments over violation of food safety laws. We should amend the law to give criminals the most severe punishment. However, citizens are not optimistic on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) putting this into practice.

jailOn May 14, Li Keqiang chaired a State Council executive meeting to discuss Food Safety Law (Revised Draft). Li Keqiang said that the criminals of 2008 melamine incident paid very little due to the limited laws and regulations even though the CCP dispatched a large number of police to clean up the milk powder and criminals.

Li Keqiang stressed: “They must be given most severe punishments by amending the law!”

Beijing lawyer Xie Yanyi:“The definition of who the criminal is is critical. If by criminals they mean the corrupt government regulators including public officials seeking rents, corrupt collusion between business and officials including self interest between officials and the milk producer, it may have an effect.”

Mainland mother Jiang Yalin: “The State has laws, which are not obeyed. I won’t trust them or let people around me trust the milk powder because a burnt child dreads the fire. I think their credibility is declining continuously from all aspects. I will never use Chinese food if I can”

Sushi safety questioned in Tampa

Restaurant violations are nothing new. The shocking bits of this story is that there are 100 sushi restaurants in the Tampa area alone; and that sushi is considered “healthy and nutritious.”

The I-Team at ABC Action News reviewed the inspection reports of 100 sushi restaurants in the bay area over the last year and found serious critical violations that could make you or your family sick.

That includes raw tuna at 61 degrees, raw shrimp and fish over cooked tempura, which is a cross contamination issue and restaurants that had to throw out food because they were at hazardous temperatures. We also look at one sushi restaurant that tops the list in critical violations.

Obama dines at critically filthy Miami restaurant

President Barack Obama got a sandwich at Jerry’s Famous Deli in Miami last week, which was slapped with 26 restaurant violations for all types of uncleanliness by a state inspector on Monday.

The restaurant inspection comes less than a week after Obama made his to-go order of two corned beef sandwiches on rye.

An inspector stopped the sale of cooked meatballs after he found raw meat sitting out in the open in unsafe temperatures. Employees were also seen handling meat and bread without gloves and without washing their hands properly.

Noodletown shut down due to health violations

New York Chinatown legend, Great NY Noodletown, was forced to close on Friday night.

A February inspection turned up evidence of insects, roaches and mice in the Noodletown’s food and/or non-food areas, and, according to Eater NY, pinged the restaurant for its storage of delicious meats that hang behind the counter.

Where the DOH finds fault, Noodletown’s devoted customers find flavor. The 50 violation points from February required a follow-up visit, which apparently didn’t go so well, and the restaurant remains closed. Luckily, the shut down is happening now and not during soft-shell crab season, one of Noodletown’s specialties.

I find fault. Shut them down.