No Safety Checks on Chinese Foodstuffs

In one case last week, the authorities seized 30,000 eggs at the giant Karasuu market in southern Kyrgyzstan, imported from China in violation of food import regulations..



The local veterinary authorities fear the eggs, which had no accompanying certificates, could be contaminated and cause serious harm to human health. However, they do not possess the equipment needed to run comprehensive checks on foodstuffs, for example to test for melamine, the chemical found in dairy products in a major scandal in China.



Many consumers in Kyrgyzstan are prepared to buy anything as long as it is cheap, but some are more cautious, and say that even when a seller has all the right stamps and certificates, these are easily forged.