China is the red elephant in the room when issues of food safety and food security arise. Last month’s pet food poisoning debacle highlighted the all-but-absent Chinese equivalent of the FDA. Which isn’t saying much, because the Food & Drug Administration itself is woefully unprepared and underfunded (LA Times) to protect the public.

The Economist weighs in and this morning, KosherToday (below) takes a harsh look at China’s lax infrastructure in keeping up to par on American kosher standards as well.

KosherToday.com - Culture Issues Fog Safety and Kashrus Concerns in China
Beijing… The number of kosher certified companies in China has exceeded 1,000, but kosher certification agencies occasionally face the same cultural issues that have concerned food executives over the safety of foods produced here. There have been some well-publicized issues with the safety of foods that has prompted Chinese authorities to expedite new regulations that will significantly tighten safety regulations. The China State Food and Drug Administration announced that it will introduce a set of draft rules and procedures requiring companies to trace and collect food products that pose health risks.

China was in the news recently when it was discovered that melamine, a banned chemical, was used in pet food and feed, poisoning animals across the US. In conversations with officials of three of the largest kosher certification agencies, it became clear that rabbis often face cultural barriers such as “when Chinese production people tell us what we want to hear, a matter of polite business behavior here.” The agencies, namely the Orthodox Union (OU), OK Certification, and the Star-K maintain a full-time presence in China, including in some cases fully-staffed offices. They frequently fly in mashgichim (supervisors) from Israel in what one agency called “a necessity given the growing number of companies we certify in a vast geographic area.”

Approximately 90% of the products certified in China are ingredient items. Israel is also a large importer of the ingredients and packaged foods, manufactured under private label. The agencies say that their staff includes local citizens who fully understand the language and culture of the country, “an invaluable tool in the kosher certification process.” The Chinese infatuation with kosher stems from their increased business with the US food industry, which most often requires a kosher certified ingredient. The ingredient producers in China and elsewhere around the world are increasingly being shut out of the US market unless their products have kosher certification.