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Fake green vegetables on shelf among genuine ones in Shenyang
By Guan Xiaomeng (Chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2005-12-09 14:14
Some "green vegetables" sold in major supermarkets in Shenyang, capital city
of Northeast China's Liaoning Province, have been found to be fake.
Reportedly, the fake green vegetables (vegetables without pesticide) were
bought from the nearby vegetable wholesale market at low prices. Then the
vegetables were wrapped up, attached with "green vegetable" labels, and sold at
prices as high as genuine ones.
Jiahe's "green
vegetables" are displayed at showy places in major supermarkets in
Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning Province. |
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The Ministry of Agriculture sent an investigation team to Shenyang as soon as
the fake green vegetables were exposed.
The green vegetables are provided by an agricultural science and technology
development company called Jiahe, whose vegetable-producing base is located
about 100 kilometers away from Shenyang.
A worker at the base said that the company provides about two tons of more
than 10 kinds of green vegetables to Shenyang every day.
However, Jiahe's general manager said that his company provides 5 to 7 tons
of "green vegetables" of as many as 40 kinds to Shenyang every day.
It is reported that the remaining 3 to 5 tons of vegetables were bought from
the nearby vegetable wholesale market after every midnight. Then the "green
vegetables" were transported into Jiahe's processing workshops, where they were
sorted, cleaned, wrapped up, and labeled as "green vegetables" as well.
A vegetable wholesaler said that the wholesale vegetables were not green
vegetables at all because they had pesticide.
To justify buying vegetables from the wholesale market, a Jiahe purchaser
explained that the company bought vegetables regularly from the wholesale market
to supplement the insufficient base production.
The "green vegetables" would be ready and displayed at showy places before
supermarkets would open every morning. Deliberately selected and wrapped up, the
green vegetables would look quite fresh and clean. Quite a number of consumers
paid for these "healthy" vegetables despite their higher prices.
A female Shenyang citizen surnamed Liu got very angry at the fake green
vegetables "We were cheated and it is a waste of effort," she said. Liu used to
buy these "green vegetables" for her sick old father in bed.
An official in charge of the green food development in the Ministry of
Agriculture said the fake green vegetables seriously harm consumers' rights and
cast a shadow over green vegetables' reputation.
Green food labels cannot be used unless granted by the Ministry of
Agriculture. However, Jiahe was reportedly to use the labels without the grant.
An official of Liaoning green food authority explained that the local food
authorities granted Jiahe the right to use the label and serial numbers of
another food company called Weikang. The official explained that the authorities
did this to encourage the local green food development.
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