China official wanted toxic bean case quashed despite outcry

One city's decision to publicize the problem was “inconsiderate of friends,” according to Zhou Qingchong, deputy director of the agriculture bureau law enforcement team in the southern city of Sanya where the contaminated beans originated.

Authorities in the central city of Wuhan recently announced it had destroyed 3.5 tons of “yard-long” beans from Sanya that had been treated with isocarbophos, a pesticide that is banned from use on fruits and vegetables. Several southern provinces have since reported finding the tainted beans in their markets, although no one has been reported sickened.

Zhou told China National Radio for a report this week that his city and the Ministry of Agriculture had lost face because of the complaint from Wuhan.

His response underscored how Chinese bureaucrats often prefer to handle sensitive issues privately, in a manner where public outcry and blame can be minimized.

That mindset has been at least partly to blame for past food safety scandals in China, including the 2008 case of tainted infant formula where the producers and local authorities knew the product contained a toxic chemical but tried to keep it hushed up. At least six children died and nearly 300,000 fell ill.

The pesticide used on the beans — which are pencil-thin and similar to green beans — is still relatively easy to buy in Sanya, CNR reported. Two bottles of isocarbophos cost 18 yuan (US$2.60), while approved pesticides would cost 50 yuan (US$7.30).

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