[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 110 (Wednesday, July 11, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H7495]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       SAFETY OF CHINESE PRODUCTS

  (Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, in recent months the number of unsafe 
products imported to the United States from China, ranging from seafood 
and pet food to toys and toothpaste, has grown steadily. Chinese-made 
products have accounted for 60 percent of recalls this year, according 
to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
  China's small-scale food producers have been accused of unsanitary 
production, conditions, using tainted or substandard ingredients, and 
failing to register with the authorities. About 350,000, or 78 percent, 
of China's food processing operations employ 10 people or less.
  Americans are rightly concerned when they learn many of the products 
imported from China pose a threat to their health. American consumers 
have grown to expect that the products they buy at their local markets 
are safe for their entire family. That is why it is vitally important 
for Congress to hold hearings on these issues to better examine how we 
can protect our constituents from substandard Chinese products.

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