Who let Lycium barbarum "contain sulfur" exceed the standard? Is the customer God?

I haven't sat down to write something for a long time, and "layman, look outside" has stopped writing for many years. The recent "Lycium barbarum" incident has caused a great uproar. I don't like to join in the fun, but I still can't help but say a few words.

Seeing CCTV's video of "Lycium barbarum contains sulfur", I would like to ask, if Lycium barbarum with normal color can be sold well, and if the relevant local government departments can effectively supervise or guide the production process of local leading industries, will this matter be flooded?

In fact, the problem of poisonous food was occasionally mentioned with the group members when they brought the group from China. But often return to the sentence "customer is God".

For this sentence, I have a different view from everyone.

In my memory, this sentence probably appeared in the late 1980s after the reform and opening up. Before that, it was the media's criticism of commodity packaging. At that time, the packaging of imported goods was definitely a blow to domestic goods.

freestar
At that time, in order to promote the "market economy" model, the foreign saying "customer is God" was quoted, which was consumer-oriented in order to increase everyone's desire for consumption and stimulate economic development. This was understandable in the social environment at that time, and even played a considerable role in the market economy at that time.

However, after decades of rapid development in China, the material richness, the purchasing power of customers and the design of commodity packaging are not what they used to be.

In fact, toxic food is definitely not a topic that just emerged today, it has been around for many years. The bleaching of pistachios, peanuts, fish maws (gelatin), the watering of watermelons, and the release of hormone growth promoters in strawberries have also been reported from time to time before.

First of all, talk about businesses and manufacturers.

You are right and wrong to say that businesses are "black-hearted" and "culprits". I can only say that they fell into a hotbed of "economic interests" and failed to keep the "moral bottom line". Yes, they did it to please consumers' consumption habits or interests. Even if they don't do it themselves, they are the culprit behind it, instigating or suggesting that manufacturers do it.

freestar
You said it was the "manufacturer" problem, which was right and wrong. They listened to the hints or guidance of the merchants, and still did not keep the bottom line of "no harm to others" or the industry standards that must be observed before the interests or living space.

However, have you explored further why this phenomenon has occurred? Is the "customer's preference" absolutely correct?

Let me give you some examples of what I saw with my own eyes.

The group members from China were very excited to see some beautiful and huge strawberries in Colombia. Buy some and try it quickly. As a result, after tasting it, he said, "Oh, why is it so hard? Why is it so sour? "

I said, "Fruit has fruit acid, so acid is normal. Strawberries are planted on the hillside outside Bogota. Bogota is at an altitude of 2650, and the growth period of plants is a little slow and a little long, so it will be more solid. Just like good wood, its trees will grow slowly. The rice in the northeast of China is delicious, isn't it because it is made once a year, the growing period is longer, and it absorbs more nutrients in the soil? "

freestar
Answer: "I don't care, I just want to be soft, sweet and delicious."

This phenomenon is very common. Do you think she will change her choice when she knows the truth?

Venezuela produces a lot of fish bellies, also known as "flower glue". I once learned from a chef in a restaurant that most of the fish bellies his boss who sells back to China or Hongkong are soaked in bleach before drying, because it will be "whiter and better looking" and will also sell at a better price and in a larger quantity. And what he eats himself is those yellow ones that are "not so beautiful" and have not been "processed". He said that this is the requirement of most buyers in China and Hong Kong.

Of course, they are willing to do this because of another reason, that is, flies will not come to lay eggs, and the drying process does not need so much care and is not easy to go bad. He didn't eat it himself because he knew it was bad for his health, but the buyer was willing to accept even the requirements and guidance that "it needs to be whiter".

After these things have been exposed by a lot of media, there are still consumers who continue to consume such products, which is the reason why this kind of practice still exists, just like the one who eats strawberries above.

freestar
I remember before I went abroad in 2001, I also went to the farmer's market to buy bulk salted and dried peanuts. Ugly yellow sells cheaply, while white fat sells expensively. When I was a child, I often went back to my hometown for the summer vacation. Although I couldn't farm and I couldn't tell the difference between the grains, I helped my uncle collect peanuts and knew what peanuts should be like. It is understood that the white is basically due to chlorine or bleach.

However, the merchants say that white fat is better to sell and the price is of course higher. Worst of all, you want to buy some unbleached "fat" peanuts, but you don't have them. Because they were all picked and bleached.

Follow the topic of "all fat people are bleached" and mix a slightly off-topic example.

Before going abroad, I had a decoration design room in Guangzhou, where I did decoration design and engineering for some senior houses. The stainless steel security door was designed with a material with a thickness of 1 mm. As a result, when I went to the stainless steel market, I couldn't find a qualified one. For the sake of price competition, manufacturers and merchants call 0.8 as 1 mm, and even 0.7. Looking for a real 1 mm material, no. This is the result of competition among domestic industries, and it is also a default behavior of customers who have no basic knowledge and only seek low prices. As a user who wants to maintain quality and commitment, he feels very helpless.

There are countless examples like this.

freestar
To sum up, if most consumers don't know enough about the things themselves, or develop their own foolish preferences and don't change them, or some hidden rules caused by vicious competition, etc., will these God-customers mislead manufacturers and producers? If the bleached white fat is easy to sell and earn, and no one cares about the original yellow peanuts, how can merchants and manufacturers choose?

In fact, from the manufacturer or producer, such an operation method (taking peanuts as an example) has more processes, more time-consuming and waste, and increases costs. But it is a face of helplessness, and I have to be a man with a back pot.

From this point of view, can it be said that this "God customer" misled manufacturers and producers? When most consumers like or are willing to pay for it, who is the initiator?

I think there should be at least two departments that can make a difference at this time: one is the mass media. Of course, this is a media with conscience and social responsibility by default, not just focusing on the eyes, entertaining the public and putting interests first A soulful media that really educates and popularizes the people, and carries out popular science education through these media. These are rare in mainstream media in western countries (or those with the highest ratings).

The second is the quality supervision department. The quality supervision department should not only accept the goods that are sent for testing, but also go out and check whether all kinds of goods circulating in the market meet the production standards, especially those foods that are eaten in the mouth and their entire supply chain. It is unrealistic to conduct a comprehensive inspection, and then the staffing will increase a lot. But at least you can spot-check goods from all walks of life anytime and anywhere, right?

freestar
I think this department in China has been wasting the labor and treatment given to them by the people, but there is no department that really performs its due duties. It can even be said that they are not responsible for their lives. Are they just immortals out of the mortal life? Or do they have special supplies for their living?

And those who are responsible for selling advertisements, are you just like foreign media, caring only about profits and not caring about product quality and not being responsible at all? Does national legislation have to keep up? Should penalties be increased for those who endanger people's health? Like my dad said, they will be punished to ruin and never turn over. See who dares to mess around? Of course, it also includes those inspectors who cover up or accept bribes.

I think besides government departments, quality supervision departments, national education departments and all media, as "God"-consumers, should we also reflect?