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Who Faked Story about Cardboard in Chinese Rolls? The Reporter or the Government?
Last week we posted a story from China in which an undercover reporter filmed workers in a Beijing suburb making rolls out of chopped up cardboard.
China is now saying the story was faked and the reporter has been jailed and, according to the 'The Beijing Public Security Bureau, will be "severely dealt with according to law.''
Chinese officials claim that the reporter was under pressure from his editors to come up with a story. He wasn't able to do so, and in desperation, hired a couple of workers to chop up cardboard on camera, mix it with pork, and steam it into popular baozi rolls. The footage, which was broadcast on Beijing Television's Life Channel on July 8 and then spread globally, created disgust worldwide. You can check it out for yourself here.
Speculation has arisen, however, regarding who actually filed the false report. China recently has been facing charges from the global community regarding the poor quality of its exports. An internal investigation revealing cardboard as the main ingredient in a consumable product has only furthered these accusations and caused even more embarrassment and damage.
It is therefore, entirely within the realm of reason for Chinese officials to claim the story was fabricated and jail the reporter to protect the image of Chinese products.
In my opinion, this is exactly what happened.
Filed under: Food and Drink, China
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
hombreloco Jul 22nd 2007 4:14AM
where can I these rolls? It wouldn't surprise me one bit if the Chinese restaurants around here have been grinding up dog collars to make General Tso's chicken, but I still love it - the real secret is in the sauce!
CapedCrusader Jul 22nd 2007 5:19AM
The cardboard story is likely not a joke... When I was in the U.S. military (20 years ago), in a military chow hall I was served a hamburger that had a chunk of cardboard inside the meat patty itself. By it's condition, it had obviously been there since before the meat was pressed and frozen. I don't doubt that the manufacturer was was adding some ground up cardboard to the mix to add some cheap weight, and this piece didn't get ground up sufficiently.
Susan Jul 28th 2007 6:06AM
I would think the cardboard would more healthy.
lawsen253 Jul 28th 2007 6:17AM
You're worried about cardboard in Chinese food??? I'd rather eat cardboard anyday than rat droppings.
jbs61977 Jul 28th 2007 6:36AM
I would never eat cardboard
JERRY Jul 28th 2007 7:00AM
CHINA IS NO WORSE OR BETTER THAN ANY OTHER CORP. THEY KNOW THE BASICS,
John Jul 28th 2007 7:44AM
China.....they make your cars and t.v,s, Posin yur pets and taint your toothpaste. But they own us we sold out. They will one day want there money and kill our kids to get paid for there poseined cardboard trash. Its the pricwe we pay for driving a cheap toyota.
ann Jul 28th 2007 7:52AM
John get your facts together.......or do you just have something against races that don't look like you? Toyota= Chinese?
Vicki Jul 28th 2007 7:56AM
I belive that the story is true. China is desperately trying to do damage control. I think that the trade agreements that we have with other countries benefit other countries and not us. We need to severely limit what comes into this country and double check everything that lands in the US. I tend to stick to locally grown stuff and don't eat in restaurants very often. I make my own food with mostly vegetables. That way I can Identify what I am eating. An avacado looks like and avacado, an onion looks like and onion, but once everything is chopped up and put in a sauce or dough, who the heck knows what it is. We need to severely limit who comes into our country and the merchandise from other countries that comes here.
Christina ( Tia ) Jul 28th 2007 8:06AM
I don't think this story is true at all. I do agree with Vicki on how we need to keep OUR money in OUR country! Why do we need to help out these other countries all the time? What about OUR country? We have many starving Men, Women & Children HERE in the USA that need help.....yet we go to other countries and give them $$ and food....????? Instead of buying vehicles, food, clothing and other products from countries overseas, let's keep our money here, in the USA, and help our people!!!! Land of the FREE? Nope.....just organized communism!
Julianna Jul 28th 2007 8:11AM
I agree with Vicki. The only way we are going to weed out the nasty imports, is to stop buying them. We need to support our local businesses. Farms in the U.S. are going under every day. If we start buying locally, and stop buying imported who knows what in a can, we will not only benefit our own country, but we will all be healthier. I recently read a web page that stated that in China, people are eating aborted fetuses. They consider it a delicasy. I don't know about you, but I am greatly disgusted, and broken hearted by this.
It is now unsafe to eat or use kind of personal hygeine product that comes from China. I beg of you, check your labels, and buy American. Stand up for who you are, and for all of the soldiers killed everyday to defend this country that we love so much. BUY AMERICAN!!! It may cost more, but it's worth it.
dan Jul 28th 2007 8:16AM
i use finely ground cardboard as pepper in my salt + pepper shakers, mmmmmmmmmmm delisoicio,no matter how you spell it! hagd!
Jimmy Jul 28th 2007 8:43AM
Jeeze... the grammar and spelling in these comments is ATROCIOUS. Who can take the posters seriously??!!
Lisa Jul 28th 2007 8:47AM
Guess that would be one way China could wipe out the Americans and all their pets, going at us in our food..we all eat. It would be nice if there were actual labels that stated where the foods we purchase come from. I'm really stating to not trust the foods they send over. Why is it not being caught before it reaches us?
Charles Jul 28th 2007 9:04AM
Hey Jimmy, i honestly think it would be "postees" Posters are some thing you put on the wall, lol.
RETA Jul 28th 2007 9:14AM
NO SURPRISE..WE HAVE ALREADY CAUGHT THE CHINESE SELLING FAKE MEDICATIONS TO US PHARMS FOR CHEAPER PRICES (SO TRUSTING IS THE USA) ALOT OF OUR PRESCRIPTIONS HAVE GROUND UP DRYWALL AND ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF THE ACTUALLY DRUG...EVERY WONDER WHY YOUR MEDS DON'T WORK...
Jamie K Jul 28th 2007 9:23AM
Whether this story is true or not, I agree that we need to keep American money in AMERICA. Many Americans are starving, homeless, and jobless. Why is this happening in the supposedly richest country in the world? Because most of our jobs have left the country. Oh, sure, some Toyotas are built in Indiana, but the profits go to Japan (isn't that where Toyota is from)? Many people in my town here in Western NY stand to lose their houses because the factory that they work for is cutting their wages and their benefits. Many people are leaving this area as quickly as they can because of this.
We, the people, need to pressure our government to stop free trade, stop importing goods from China and Japan, and start bringing back the American jobs. Perhaps if American companies were not allowed to send these jobs overseas, more people in the US would have jobs and a better way of life. But, we have gotten use to paying very little $ for very cheaply made goods that fall apart very quickly. Which in turn means that we have to go buy those goods again and again (and we wonder where our $ goes). Walmart is a good example of a great American company that has gone the wrong way. Sam Walton is probably turning over in his grave right now. His philosophy was to sell American made products at the lowest price possible. After he died, things went down the tube. All of a sudden, the "owners" decided that this was bad business and started selling foreign made goods because they are cheaper.
Bring back American jobs, stop free trade, stop illegal immigrants.
Jamie
Tam D Jul 28th 2007 9:32AM
haha China doesn't make cars... Toyota = Japanese
Buy American.
Seth Tyrssen Jul 28th 2007 9:38AM
Jamie K, absolutely right. These ideas, plus the notion that all Americans should be able to get good medical care, form the core-essence of Fascism, which is not the two-dimensional boogeyman the media would have you believe. (No racism, no Nazis.) The story about China is probably true -- and things aren't much better here. What's the allowable percentage of insect and rodent parts in YOUR food? Yes, such stats DO exust, but you can bet they're not on the labels!
Seth Tyrssen
Author, "The New Fascism"
Available on Lulu.com
Rose Jul 28th 2007 9:40AM
Err...Charles? there is no definition for "postees" in the dictionary... :)