Don't play with food safety

Food safety is a serious matter that should not be toyed with since it has a bearing on the health of the people. But what transpired when it came to the safety of three kinds of soft drinks produced by Nongfu Spring Co and Uni-President Co is indeed like a game.

Last month, the soft drink brands were declared as containing levels of arsenic higher than the standards stipulated by the State. They were tested by the Haikou quarantine department, and the city's bureau of industry and commerce immediately ordered the brands to be taken off the shelves in local markets.

However, when the samples of the same batch of drink brands were sent to be retested at the State Quarantine Research Institute in Beijing, the levels of arsenic were confirmed to be within the limit, and therefore safe.