Groceries!

[dear giant]

HC, you read this translated article for a start: 700 tons of smuggled vegetables circulate in Hong Kong markets affecting local business and endanger public health. The govt is aware of veg smuggling but is not doing much about it.

The SCMP has a paywall and The Standard doesn't report much real news but, if you can read Chinese, you can search Apple Daily online.

Here's are some examples:

牛肉含致癌物〠肉檔三度違規 (fresh beef being sold in Tseung Kwan O with SO2 added to it at unsafe levels as a preservative and to make it look fresher than it really was)

超市大　食物壞
惠康賣毒菜　 city\'super雪糕含菌 (Cadmium-laced lettuce and mushrooms among other problems)


34æ¬¾æ±æ–¹é…’ä¸å®œéŽé é£²ç”¨ ç´¹èˆˆèŠ±å½«å«è‡´ç™Œç‰ æœ€é«˜ (Ethyl carbamate in wine imported from the Mainland)

[dear giant]

Tainted / poisoned food generally kills slowly and in ways that are tough to attribute directly to the victims' diets so nobody is going to be able to convince you to pull your head out of the sand if you're determined to keep it stuck in there.

When person X develops heart disease, the doc won't know that it was caused/accelerated by Cadmium in their diet. When they get cancer, the doc has no way of knowing that it was caused/accelerated by other toxins/additives in crab meat used in the crab meat dumplings that they habitually ate.

[HowardCoombs]

The stories are not scandals but rather they are directly from the government and its inspections.
They are reporting on tests and findings.

So what exactly were you expecting us to be shocked about? They are doing their jobs and sometimes finding problems. There is no coverup, no skulduggery, no secrets and not much different from anywhere else in the world where there is food and inspectors.

Why do these reports which show the government doing its job cause you to ridicule them?
Should we ridicule NY restaurant inspectors because of this : http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/download...nth-report.pdf

[HowardCoombs]

Tainted / poisoned food generally kills slowly and in ways that are tough to attribute directly to the victims' diets so nobody is going to be able to convince you to pull your head out of the sand if you're determined to keep it stuck in there.

True but it would be pretty damn obvious if the overall death rate was increasing; alas, we are getting healthier and living longer all the while eating local food in Hong Kong. Do you have some evidence to the contrary?

When person X develops heart disease, the doc won't know that it was caused/accelerated by Cadmium in their diet. When they get cancer, the doc has no way of knowing that it was caused/accelerated by other toxins/additives in crab meat used in the crab meat dumplings that they habitually ate.

Are cancer rates in Hong Kong better or worse compared to London? NYC? Your favorite big city?
You can talk about all kinds of hypothetical risks but in the end, they will be reflected in life expectancy and disease rates. If you have some significant information in this area, please share it instead of spreading FUD.

[dear giant]

700 tons a day of smuggled vegetables arriving in HK from the Mainland and the HK govt for the most part ignoring the problem is not a scandal?

OK, we're done here.

[mid_gen]

If I was worried about long-term effects of low-level contamination, I wouldn't be living here breathing this filthy air 24/7.

[HowardCoombs]

700 tons a day of smuggled vegetables arriving in HK from the Mainland and the HK govt for the most part ignoring the problem is not a scandal?

You read the claims of an organisation with vested interest and decide its the truth. I look around and find alternatives:
Press Releases
I choose to believe the govt. You choose to ridicule them.
I ask you for some proof and the only other thing you can come up with, after trying to change the subject a few times is government inspection reports.
*sigh*

OK, we're done here.

Give up so quickly? Thats not like you. *shrug*

Fact: Hong Kong food and food supplies along with Hong Kong water is safe. The government does a decent job of ensuring this safety. There are plenty of worried and paranoid people and for those there are more expensive alternatives flown in from far away destinations. For the vast majority of the population, which includes me&family, the food available locally is perfectly fine and we will continue to enjoy it cheaply.

[Teacher Abroad]

Wow! Certainly a contentious post. Many thanks to those that contributed some positive, informative guidelines for newbies on grocery shopping in HK.

[Mat]

Wow! Certainly a contentious post. Many thanks to those that contributed some positive, informative guidelines for newbies on grocery shopping in HK.

Welcome to Geoexpat where a simple question about groceries can trigger a huge debate about the commies up north etcetcetc....

[HowardCoombs]

Welcome to Geoexpat where a simple question about groceries can trigger a huge debate about the commies up north etcetcetc....

Cmon Mat, its not just commies; lets call a spade a spade. There are a few people who hold very negative opinions about Hong Kong and try to inject that negativity into practically every single Hong Kong related thread. A reminder of the not too distant past where such individuals opined:
- Hong Kong weather sucks
- Hong Kong air sucks
- Hong Kong&Chinese culture is flawed
- Hong Kong is inferior to the west
- Hong Kong police hide the truth
- Hong Kong hospitals are horrible
- Hong Kong food supplies are suspect
- Hong Kong buildings are a disaster
- Hong Kong economy will implode soon
- One should leave Hong Kong because only in the West can one get well educated
- Hong Kong born parents should not bring their kids here to live
- McDonalds tastes better than Cantonese food
Am I missing any?