The recent food safety scandals are appalling, to say the least. Clenbuterol-contaminated pork, harmful chemicals in steamed buns and poisonous bean sprouts reflect the length that some food producers can go to in pursuit of profit.

Food safety has become a serious issue, causing widespread public concern. Food safety scandals reveal the dark side of humanity. Unscrupulous businesspeople add harmful additives and poisonous chemicals to food products regardless of the threats they pose to human beings.

For such unscrupulous food producers, the pursuit of profit outweighs basic ethics and social responsibility. The government should take all possible measures to stop them from causing physical and mental harm to humans.

The lack of proper and strict supervision on the part of food safety authorities is also to blame for such scandals. It is food safety authorities' responsibility to supervise food producers and prevent toxic food from entering the market.

"Do no evil" should be the moral basis of every food producer. And supervision authorities should ensure that all food producers follow this tenet in letter and spirit.

Zhang Xiaodong, via e-mail

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(China Daily 05/03/2011 page9)