The Chinese law on the protection of consumer rights stipulates that consumers have the right to know the real conditions of commodities or services, says an article in Beijing News Daily. Excerpts:

KFC, the United States-based fast food company, said on Dec 29 it didn’t have the intention to hide the truth from the public after some of the chickens supplied to the restaurant were found to have been fed with illegal steroid drugs and antibiotics, because laws and regulations in China do not require companies to present the results of self-testing programs to the government or to the customers.

Was KFC’s statement an apology or an effort to avoid dealing with its responsibilities?

Although the law does not explicitly require food companies to disclose their self-testing results, the law firmly protects the consumers’ right to know.

The Chinese law on the protection of consumer rights stipulates that consumers have the right to know the real conditions of commodities or services.

The food recall administration regulation states that food producers should not produce unsafe food that may harm the consumers’ health, and that food producers should call back problematic products and keep consumers informed about the conditions of the food.

KFC simply ignored these rules and tried to shy away from its obligations. The company is mainly worried about its image and profits.

As an international food company, KFC should have actively taken concrete actions to disclose all the necessary information to consumers regarding its products.

Food industry authorities must strengthen their supervision and administration of the crucial food safety area. A serious accountability system must be implemented to force companies to fulfill their responsibilities.