2.15.2008 9:27 AM

Consumers Send China A Message

U.S. Retailers Listen to Consumer Sentiment, Pull Chinese Items from Shelves

Trader joes food store pulls Chinese imports off shelves.

Photo: Ric Francis / AP Photo

By Annie Bell Muzaurieta

An article in the Chattanooga Times Free Press suggests that it's no wonder American consumers are wary of products grown in China, or that retailers are removing Chinese products from their shelves, considering the country's recent record for food and product safety (pet food and toothpaste scares, anyone?)

In the past the FDA has acknowledged that it's not up to the task of monitoring a global food network that includes nearly 440,000 facilities in 170 countries, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.

So what are consumers to do? Earlier this week, the Trader Joe's chain of stores announced it would be removing from its shelves some imported items from China, such as garlic and ginger. The Chattanooga Times Free Press quotes a Trader Joe's spokesperson who said that the chain believes that the products it imported from China are safe and said that there had been no specific problems with Chinese foods. What was at the root of the removal? Consumer sentiment.

The article reminds us that consumer concern is what drives retailers to remove Chinese products from shelves, not government action. This provides incentive for China to prioritize food and product safety.

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