Don't see these products in Winnipeg, but be careful when you see them...because...
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Rat droppings, gnats and flies...how safe is our food?
If you have enjoyed Asian foods and shopped at an Asian grocery store, I hope you haven't bought and used products of a popular brand called "Wei-Chuan."
I have, and plenty of them, over the years, from frozen dumplings to tofu to soy sauce to canned bamboo shoots. That's why my stomach turned when a press release from Attorney General Greg Abbott hit my e-mail yesterday.
The AG charged the Houston-based Asian specialty foods wholesaler Wei-Chuan USA Inc. and its director, Stephen Chen, with violating the state health and safety code, and is seeking civil penalties of up to $25,000 per day per violation of the Texas Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act.
Click here to read the lawsuit.
The press release says state inspectors last year found a litany of sanitary problems with Wei-Chuan's warehouse in northwest Houston and issued a citation and detained all of its contents.
The violations included rodent droppings in, on and around food products, pallets and floors; product packaging that rodents had gnawed through; gnat-like insects and flies, and open doors that allowed vermin to get in the facility. Here are some more details:
The defendants' facility lacks floors, walls and ceilings that can be adequately cleaned and sealed to prevent pests from entering. The defendants also failed to keep the aisles free of debris. Cluttered aisles prevented proprietors and inspectors alike from easily spotting and preventing animal infestations. Wei-Chuan USA also failed to adequately screen openings and otherwise undertake measures to ensure that pests would be kept out of the food storage areas. The company distributes 900 varieties of foods, including frozen seafood and meats, refrigerated pork sausage, tofu, dry goods such as rice and canned foods, dried milk and beverages. The company's products can be found in Asian food markets throughout Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi, the press release says.
I stopped by several Asian grocery stores in Houston yesterday and found a wide assortment of Wei-Chuan products on their shelves and in their frozen sections as usual. I couldn't tell what foods were pre-packaged before they entered Wei-Chuan's warehouse and what were packaged from bulk at the facility. But if the former, would it mean it could be less of a problem? I don't know.
George Gao, manager of the Wel-Farm Supermarket, Fort Bend's only Asian grocery store at 4635 Highway 6 in Missouri City, said this morning he was shocked at the news. But he said he plans to return all Wei-Chuan products to the company. I hope he is able to do that.
Several questions came to mind: How long had Wei-Chuan been operating under such hair-raising conditions before state inspectors caught it red-handed? What kind of oversight did the government have of the company throughout its business history in Houston? Is this a problem with one brand of foods and with Asian foods only? Are we safe consuming any food and buying from any market nowadays?
I need some serious detox before venturing out to a grocery store again. |
