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  <title>Shanghai Daily: Food</title> 
  <link>
  	http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/list.asp?id=152
  </link> 
  <description>Shanghai Daily Food</description> 
  <language>en</language> 


<item>
	<title>Mooncakes to cost more this year</title> 
	<link>
	
	http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=448321
	</link>
	<pubDate>4 Sep 2010 0:59:15 +0800</pubDate> 
	<category>Food</category> 
	<author>Xu Chi</author>
	<description><![CDATA[
	MOONCAKE fans may have to pay more for the Mid-autumn Festival delicacy this year. Retail prices are up by 5 to 20 percent due to the increased cost of ingredients, officials from the Shanghai Food Association said...]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[MOONCAKE fans may have to pay more for the Mid-autumn Festival delicacy this year. Retail prices are up by 5 to 20 percent due to the increased cost of ingredients, officials from the Shanghai Food Association said yesterday.
 
An official said the price of lotus seeds, beans, walnuts and some other ingredients had risen by 25 percent on average. This was the result of this year's disastrous weather in some provinces which devastated the agricultural industry. 
 
An official with the Shanghai Xinya Food Co Ltd said its mooncakes are 5 percent more expensive than last year. He said retail prices may be even higher.
 
A staff member at the Xinhualou Co, another major mooncake maker in the city,  said a box of eight of its mooncakes costs 68 yuan compared to 60 to 62 yuan last year.
 
Many mooncake makers have launched new products by substituting fruit, ice-cream, mushrooms and chocolate for more expensive ingredients to avoid raising prices.
 
Meanwhile, residents are being urged to read the regulations at post offices carefully before sending mooncakes abroad. Many countries, including Germany, France and Brazil, have banned the import of mooncakes.
 
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	<title>Baby milk in new scare</title> 
	<link>
	
	http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=445768
	</link>
	<pubDate>9 Aug 2010 1:08:53 +0800</pubDate> 
	<category>Food</category> 
	<author>Lu Feiran</author>
	<description><![CDATA[
	PARENTS are facing a new baby formula scare which will bring back memories of the Sanlu scandal in 2008 when 300,000 babies were affected by melamine-tainted milk. 
 
Shanghai industrial and commercial watchdogs...]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[Parents are facing a new baby formula scare which will bring back memories of the Sanlu scandal in 2008 when 300,000 babies were affected by melamine-tainted milk. 
 
Shanghai industrial and commercial watchdogs said yesterday they were paying close attention to the local market after China-produced Synitra baby formula was reported as causing unusually early sexual development in infants in several provinces on the Chinese mainland.
 
Synitra baby formula is not on the shelf at local major supermarkets but is available on e-commerce websites. 
 
Three cases have been reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province, of baby girls starting to grow breasts as young as one year old. All three had been fed with Synitra formula since birth, according to Xinhua news agency.
 
Similar cases were also reported in Guangdong, Jiangxi and Shanxi provinces. 
 
A 10-month-old girl from Fengxin County, Jiangxi Province, and an eight-month-old girl from Linyi, Shandong Province, also showed symptoms of early sexual development. 
 
A three-month-old boy from Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, was found to have an excess of the female hormone estrogen.
 
Last month at Wuhan Children's Hospital, a 15-month-old girl was found to have the estrogen levels of a grown woman. Doctors suggested the parents stop feeding her Synitra formula immediately.
 
Deng Xiaoyun, the baby's mother, said that after they stopped feeding the baby formula her condition improved. Deng told Xinhua the Synitra company had suggested paying compensation of 200,000 yuan (US$28,570), but she declined. "At that time what I thought was to make clear what disease on earth my daughter had caught," she said.
 
At present no state-level or provincial authority has commented on the affair.
 
The Qingdao, Shandong Province-based Synitra Nutritious Food Co Ltd said the products of the company were safe and had passed authorities' quality tests. 
 
'Not scientific'
 
The company also claimed that some reports had slanted the fact, adding: "It's not scientific or reasonable to hold the conception that baby formula was the only reason for sexual precocity."
 
Shanghai Daily tried to contact the company yesterday without success.
 
The Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Administrative Bureau said they had not received any notice from state-level bureau to carry out inspections or to remove the product from shelves. "We carry out regular inspections of the milk powder market in Shanghai, and haven't found baby formula containing hormones," said Shen Li, a bureau official.
 
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<item>
	<title>Peach festival offers plenty of fun</title> 
	<link>
	
	http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2010/201007/20100721/article_443757.htm
	</link>
	<pubDate>21 Jul 2010 1:07:09 +0800</pubDate> 
	<category>Food</category> 
	<author>Liang Yiwen</author>
	<description><![CDATA[
	SHANGHAI'S first Peach Tasting Festival was launched in the Pudong New Area yesterday, the city's tourism authority said.
 
The festival will complement the Peach Flower Festival, which has been held annually for...]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[SHANGHAI'S first Peach Tasting Festival was launched in the Pudong New Area yesterday, the city's tourism authority said.
 
The festival will complement the Peach Flower Festival, which has been held annually for two decades.
 
Tourists will be able to pick their own peaches in suburban orchards during the festival.
 
Pudong International Travel Service Center has organized several tours around the tasting festival, which runs until August 20, and they range in price from 88 yuan (US$13) to 238 yuan per person.
 
Tour options include a visit to Shanghai Wildlife Park to see the 10 giant pandas on loan to the city for the World Expo.
 
Participants can choose a tour package that includes stops at Xinchang Ancient Town, Donghai Bridge and Dishui Lake, the biggest man-made fresh water lake in China.
 
Other activities include crayfish fishing, a bamboo raft ride, and target shooting. 
 
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<item>
	<title>Plenty of vegetables on the market</title> 
	<link>
	
	http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2010/201007/20100716/article_443277.htm
	</link>
	<pubDate>16 Jul 2010 1:24:21 +0800</pubDate> 
	<category>Food</category> 
	<author>Xu Fang</author>
	<description><![CDATA[
	SUPPLIES of vegetables in the local market are sufficient at present although prices of green-leaf vegetables are higher than last year due to bad weather across much of China, the local market regulation department...]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[SUPPLIES of vegetables in the local market are sufficient at present although prices of green-leaf vegetables are higher than last year due to bad weather across much of China, the local market regulation department said yesterday.
 
Prices of green-leaf vegetables peaked last week but have come down a little this week.
 
Prices are higher than last summer because the continuous rain and high temperatures have led to root rot for many green-leaf vegetables, said Wu Xingbao, director of the market regulation division of the Shanghai Commission of Commerce.
 
To guarantee supply, wholesale markets are organizing vegetables from northern provinces while south China suffers from flooding.
 
The daily vegetable supply is 8,000 tons a day at present.
 
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<item>
	<title>Inspectors search for tainted rice</title> 
	<link>
	
	http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2010/201007/20100716/article_443263.htm
	</link>
	<pubDate>16 Jul 2010 0:52:33 +0800</pubDate> 
	<category>Food</category> 
	<author>Lu Feiran and Jin Jing</author>
	<description><![CDATA[
	FOOD inspectors are combing local markets to find brands of rice purporting to have been produced in Wuchang, Heilongjiang Province, but which were tainted with an illegal fragrance.
 
The citywide checks began on...]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[Food inspectors are combing local markets to find brands of rice purporting to have been produced in Wuchang, Heilongjiang Province, but which were tainted with an illegal fragrance.
 
The citywide checks began on Wednesday night but, so far, none of the fake rice has been found on sale locally. 
 
The Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Administrative Bureau found 55 venders in six wholesale markets in the Pudong New Area, Jiading, Putuo and Yangpu districts, selling rice produced in Wuchang.
 
"The only problem found was that in a market in Jiading District, some rice which was claimed to be Wuchang rice was actually produced in other provinces," said Chen Qiwei, spokesman for the Shanghai Municipal Government. 
 
"Officials have ordered venders to stop selling the rice."
 
Market watchdog officials said current rice-quality testing standards do not include the use of flavoring essence, and the possible harm the essence may have is hard to say as the type of essence has yet to be confirmed. 
 
At present, the state-level authorities have not ordered markets to remove Wuchang rice from shelves.
 
Accordingly, local checks would only target spotting and stopping sales of the reported tainted rice instead of launching massive quality tests of rice sold on the local market to see if they also contain harmful fragrances.
 
The bureau said they would strengthen market monitoring to prevent any suspect rice entering the market. 
 
All suppliers will have to provide certificates proving the rice has passed inspection before their rice enters the city.
 
Genuine Wuchang rice, especially the breed "daohuaxiang," is popular for its natural fragrance and soft texture.
 
Flavor essence
 
Earlier this week, however, China Central Television said in a program that many brands labeled as "daohuaxiang" were actually made from other breeds of rice with flavoring essence added.
 
An official from Lotus Supermarkets said the suspect rice said to be produced in Wuchang was not available in its stores in Shanghai. "We have issued a notice to ask rice suppliers to submit origin certificates to prove rice safety," said the official. 
 
Another local supermarket, NGS, said none of the rice it sells was from Wuchang.
 
"All the rice sold in our stores are from our own 13 production bases in areas like Northeast region, north of Jiangsu Province and Chongming Island near Shanghai."
 
On Wednesday, local Carrefour outlets stopped selling rice that was labeled as being from Wuchang.
 
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<item>
	<title>Carrefour outlets stop selling Wuchang rice</title> 
	<link>
	
	http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2010/201007/20100715/article_443152.htm
	</link>
	<pubDate>15 Jul 2010 2:11:20 +0800</pubDate> 
	<category>Food</category> 
	<author></author>
	<description><![CDATA[
	LOCAL Carrefour outlets have stopped selling rice produced in Wuchang, Heilongjiang Province, after China Central Television broadcast a story that the rice contained an excess amount of flavouring essence earlier...]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[Local Carrefour outlets have stopped selling rice produced in Wuchang, Heilongjiang Province, after China Central Television broadcast a story that the rice contained an excess amount of flavouring essence earlier this week, according to Oriental Morning Post.
 
Other supermarkets, such as Lotus, Metro and NGS, said they won't remove the rice off shelves until the government issues an order to do so even though its sales was not "satisfactory."
 
The rice was once well-known for its fragrance and tenderness.
 
But this week CCTV said that large amounts of Wuchang rice had an "artificial" fragrance, which is not allowed according to Ministry of Health regulations.]]></content:encoded>
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<item>
	<title>Peaches Arrive Late</title> 
	<link>
	
	http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2010/201007/20100714/article_443004.htm
	</link>
	<pubDate>14 Jul 2010 0:12:46 +0800</pubDate> 
	<category>Food</category> 
	<author>Xu Fang</author>
	<description><![CDATA[
	NANHUI peaches are expected to go on the market about 10 days later than usual with prices predicted to rise due to low yields. 
 
The peaches should be available from late July, planters said.  
 
A lack of sunshine...]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[NANHUI peaches are expected to go on the market about 10 days later than usual with prices predicted to rise due to low yields. 
 
The peaches should be available from late July, planters said.  
 
A lack of sunshine and low temperatures in May and June have meant a smaller crop.  
 
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<item>
	<title>Melon farmer in rain despair</title> 
	<link>
	
	http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2010/201007/20100707/article_442277.htm
	</link>
	<pubDate>7 Jul 2010 0:49:41 +0800</pubDate> 
	<category>Food</category> 
	<author>Jia Feishang</author>
	<description><![CDATA[
	XU Yongming, a farmer in Qingpu District, is wondering how to make up his losses after two-thirds of his watermelons were destroyed in the strong wind and thunderstorms which hit the city on Sunday night.
 
Xu, a...]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[XU Yongming, a farmer in Qingpu District, is wondering how to make up his losses after two-thirds of his watermelons were destroyed in the strong wind and thunderstorms which hit the city on Sunday night.
 
Xu, a Shandong Province native who came to Shanghai five years ago to grow watermelons, is not the only victim. Another eight families in Xianfeng Village in Qingpu are in a similar situation.
 
"In less than two minutes, 40 of my 60 watermelon shelters were destroyed," Xu said. 
 
His watermelons got soaked in the rain and soon rotted.
 
Xu estimated that about 50 acres of watermelons in his village had suffered in the storms. 
 
Xu had only got his first batch of fruit to market earlier the same day. Now he has no more produce to sell after six months of work. 
 
The farmer said a similar situation had only happened once before when typhoon Matsa hit the city in 2005. His cousin was one of the victims then, but the government had offered subsidies. Xu was hoping the government could lend a hand this time too.
 
But the Qingpu District government said that they hadn't heard about the farmers' losses and they had no plan so far to offer subsidies.
 
Gao Qun, an official with the government, said they encouraged farmers to insure themselves against such difficulties. Xu and the other eight farmers hit by the storm had no insurance.
 
The government would also offer guidance on how to set up shelters and how to make sure that drainage ditches were working effectively. 
 
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<item>
	<title>Vegetable Prices Jump 4.2%</title> 
	<link>
	
	http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2010/201007/20100705/article_442027.htm
	</link>
	<pubDate>5 Jul 2010 0:33:02 +0800</pubDate> 
	<category>Food</category> 
	<author>Steffie Lu</author>
	<description><![CDATA[
	RAIN is driving up the price of vegetables.
 
A team from the National Bureau of Statistics said vegetable prices rose 4.2 percent in the last 10-day period of June compared to the second 10-day period.
 
The price...]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[RAIN is driving up the price of vegetables.
 
A team from the National Bureau of Statistics said vegetable prices rose 4.2 percent in the last 10-day period of June compared to the second 10-day period.
 
The price of leafy vegetables increased 9.3 percent, the most during the period.
]]></content:encoded>
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<item>
	<title>Bad zongzi</title> 
	<link>
	
	http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2010/201006/20100611/article_439831.htm
	</link>
	<pubDate>11 Jun 2010 0:27:40 +0800</pubDate> 
	<category>Food</category> 
	<author></author>
	<description><![CDATA[
	LOCAL authorities said yesterday that four of 96 samples of zongzi, a traditional rice food for the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on Wednesday, failed to meet the national standard on bacteria. 

The authorities...]]></description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[LOCAL authorities said yesterday that four of 96 samples of zongzi, a traditional rice food for the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on Wednesday, failed to meet the national standard on bacteria. 

The authorities ordered stores to stop selling the bad food and penalized the producers.]]></content:encoded>
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