Yemen Recalls Chinese Contaminated Products
Melamine-contaminated sweeteners and drinks have been withdrawn from Yemeni markets following scandals that Chinese milk products have been contaminated with toxic chemicals. Regardless, however, these products still exist in high quantities throughout the country, many people having purchased large quantities of the goods to store, prior to becoming aware of the contamination. Adding to the conflict, a report authorized by the General Authority for Standards, Metrology and Quality Control claims that Yemen is free from the Chinese contaminated product. This finding conflicts with what local authorities have claimed.
Finding contaminated milk products from China is predicted to negatively impact the well-established trust and business relationship between the Yemeni people and Chinese manufacturers. China has remained the biggest manufacturer and exporter of commercial food and commodities to Yemen. The Yemeni people look to China as the leader and example for safety and quality in production.
Yemen is specifically concerned for the rural population who are often of lower socio-economic status and are not only more likely to buy the contaminated food, but given their high illiteracy rates, less likely to be informed that the contamination exists.
It will be interesting to trace the developments and to see how the contamination scandal affects the relationship between China and Yemen. It seems that both China and Yemen will need to take active roles in the days ahead; China in ending the problem and Yemen in protecting and alerting its people.
Jenna Hootstein
