Thursday, August 23, 2012

Housing Made in China


Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Chery, Great Wall cars Recalled due to Asbestos

Twenty-three thousand China-made Chery and Great Wall cars are being recalled in Australia due to the presence of asbestos in the engines. Asbestos were also found in the exhaust systems of the vehicles.




Inhalation of asbestos can cause mesothelomia, asbestosis and lung cancer. 



[source

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Fake Peppers made from Mud

You have to hand it to them. They even produce fake peppers now - made from mud. And white peppers made from flour. The fake spices are sold for 60 yuan in Guandong province. 


[source]

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

China-Made Whitening Creams with High Levels of Mercury


According to consumer watchdog Ecowaste Coalition, the following skin whitening products available in the Philippines contain high levels of mercury, between 550ppm to 60,800 ppm, higher than the 1ppm allowed in the ASEAN directive:
  •  Feique Whitening Anti-Freckle Cream manufactured/distributed by GLDJB (Harbin) Cosmetics Ltd.,China (purchased for P60 from stall IA 43-45, 168 Mall, Divisoria, Manila), 16,000 ppm of mercury; 
  • Feique Golden Aloe Whitening Anti-Scar, Anti Freckle Set manufactured/distributed by GLDJB (Harbin)Cosmetics Ltd., China (purchased for P60 from stall IA 43-45, 168 Mall, Divisoria, Manila), 25,000 ppm of mercury; 
  • Feique Green Tea Vital Whitening Freckle-Removing Cream manufactured/distributed by GLDJB (Harbin) Cosmetics Ltd., China (purchased for P150 from stall IA 43-45, 168 Mall, Divisoria, Manila), 15,800 ppm of mercury; 
  • Bai Li Tou Hong manufactured/distributed by (not indicated in English) (purchased for P150 from stall IA 43-45, 168 Mall,Divisoria, Manila), 46,700 ppm of mercury; 
  • Maidaifu Herbal Moisturizing and Whitening Cream manufactured/distributed by (not indicated in English) (purchased forP180 from Stall IA-45, 168 Mall, Divisoria, Manila), 60,800 ppm of mercury;
  • Green Cucumber and Ginseng 6 Days Specific Eliminating Freckle Whitening Set manufactured/distributed by Yudantang International, Taiwan (purchased for P120 from stall IR-24, 168Mall, Divisoria), 9,414 ppm of mercury; 
  • Loreial Paris Anti-Freckle Cream Suit manufactured/distributed by (not indicated on the label) (purchased for P120 from stall IB 2-4 999 Shopping Mall,Divisoria, Manila), 1,371 ppm of mercury; 
  • Aichun Beauty Strongly WhiteningFreckle Series (3 in one) manufactured/distributed by France Sasa (HK) International Group Ltd. / Livepro Beauty Cosmetics Co. Ltd., China (purchased for P98 from G2 Beauty Products, Villalobos St., Quiapo, Manila), 550 ppm of mercury; 
  • “Special Cream” (double, label in Chinese) manufactured/distributed by (not indicated in English) (purchased for P80 from stall G-162 Good Earth Mall, Bustos St., Sta. Cruz, Manila), 1,565 ppm of mercury; 
  •  “Special Cream” (single, label in Chinese)manufactured/distributed by (not indicated in English) (purchased for P80 from Famous Chinese Drug Store, Recto Ave. near Rizal Ave., Sta. Cruz, Manila), 1,378 ppm of mercury; 
  • Yudantang Ginseng and Ganoderma Lucidum 6 Days Specific Eliminating Freckle Whitening Sun Block Creammanufactured/distributed by Yudantang International, Taiwan (purchased for P140 from Rose and Fujikura General Merchandise, Uni-Mec Supermarket, Guadalupe, Makati City), 31,300 ppm of mercury; 
  • Aichun Beauty Green Tea Whitening Speckle Removing Series (3 in one) manufactured/distributed by France Sasa (HK) International Group Ltd./Livepro Beauty Cosmetic Co. Ltd., China (purchased for P90 from G2 Beauty Products, Carriedo St., Quiapo, Manila), 1,250 ppm of mercury; 
  • Aichun Beauty Pawpaw Whitening and Freckle Remover Series (3 in one) manufactured/distributed by France Sasa (HK) International Group Ltd./Livepro Beauty Cosmetic Co. Ltd., China (purchased for P90 from G2 Beauty Products, Carriedo St., Quiapo, Manila), 867 ppm of mercury.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Another Baby Formula Recall in China





Mercury contamination this time


Chinese milk company Yili is recalling baby formula in china because of "high levels of mercury." The affected brand is Quan You baby formula, produced from last November to May this year.  


[source]

Monday, May 21, 2012

ZTE Phones Have Backdoor Access



ZTE, one of the largest Chinese manufacturers of cellular phones, acknowledged that it installed a backdoor to its Score M and Skate models. Security researchers first reported the security issue, and the company eventually acknowledged it.

Purportedly the backdoor account - accessible via a hard-coded password - is used for remote firmware update for the phones, but it can be accessed by anyone with the password. The password is available online.


ZTE is the same company embroiled in a bribery scandal in the Philippines.

[sources: 1, 2 , 3]

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Stand Up Against China's Bullying


This is not a normal post in my blog but this is an issue that is important to me and to the Philippines. Tomorrow, May 11, 2012, will be the global day of action against China's bullying in the West Philippine Sea. I would like to enjoin Filipinos to join the protest and stand up to against attempts to illegally expropriate what is legally a Philippine territory.

Protest in Manila will happen in front of China embassy in Gil Puyat Ave. Makati, 12 noon.

Remember what happened in 1989:  


Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Ground-Up Dead Babies?

I am starting to suspect how many really in China have erectile dysfunction ailments, as  the country seems to be obsessed with anything that can be used to enhance libido, be it rhino horns, sharks fins or some body parts of exotic and endangered animals.




By this really go beyond the pale: China-made drug capsules made from ground-up remains of dead babies and fetuses, allegedly being used to enhance sexual performance. The pills were being smuggled into South Korea, some of which were intercepted by authorities. Apparently the practice comes from the ancient belief that eating the body parts of infants will give special physical strength. 


The dead baby capsules are said to originate from Jilin and Yanji, which is near South Korea, and also from Tianjin and Qingdao.


And we have been worrying about what's in infant formulas. Soylent green? More like Soylent Yellow.

[sources: 1, 2]

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Fake Tsingtao Beer

The Philippine Bureau of Customs recently impounded a shipment of...gasp...fake Tsingtao beer. 

The fake alcoholic beverage was also deemed unfit for human consumption, according to the distributor of the real beer.


What was glaring was that the fake beer were bottled in 320-ml bottles, smaller than the regular 340-ml bottles of the real product.


What I can't fathom is that why fake a cheap beer? I had Tsingtao when I was in Shanghai and the beer is not expensive. Why bother shipping faje cheap beer here?


[source]

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Only in China: Turning Old Leather Shoes into Gelatin Capsules

This is disturbing news. One factory in China - Xueyang Gelatin Factory in Hebei province - is manufacturing gelatin capsules. These gelatin capsules are used as carrier for medicines that consumers swallow and ingest.


The factory uses  rotten, discarded leather, called "blue leather," from shoe factories and textile companies; these are collected, treated with lye, bleached and boiled to produce the gelatin from the protein. 

The gelatin capsules were also found to contain high levels of heavy metals. 

[source