Chen Junshi of Chinese CDC

Mr. Chen Junshi is the Director of the Nutrition and Food Safety Institute of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and prevention. Chen is a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Chen has been involved in almost every food related scandal:

• Chen is the main advocate of iron-fortified soy sauce. In reality, the method carries potential elevated risk of cancer, and the entire campaign has been driven by business interests. Without adequate study on side effects of iron-fortified soy sauce, Chen cited practice of iron-fortified flour as scientific proof. As a matter of fact, long term effect of food fortification is still a controversy in academia.
• Chen is the main advocate of genetic engineered (GE) Golden Rice in China. In a meeting organized by the Chinese CDC Fortification Office, but sponsored by BASF in 2009, Chen employed dated, totally meaningless, figures (11% Chinese children suffers from VDA) to steer public opinion by creating fear, uncertainty and doubts.
• In the wake of melamine poisoned milk, Chen commented: 'although thousands [note by blogger, millions were impacted, thousands were hostilities to surgically remove kidney stones. Chen lied here] children were impacted, only a few actually died. It's really not a big situation warrants response from the regulatory agencies [headed by Chen himself].' When many infants died after using fake milk in Fuyang, Anhui, Chen stated, 'it's not poisoned milk, just fake milk without enough nutrition, therefore not a food safety issue.'
• When some reporters and experts alerted the society of sewage oil (recollected cooking oil from sewage system) in the food industry, Chen disputed it that it was technically impossible to mass manufacture cooking oil from the sewage. Now it is proved that such mass manufacture existed and is traceable in almost all cooking oil retailed in China, not only small restaurants, but also upscale restaurants and major household brands.
• When there is no business interests, Chen opposes government regulation in general. Talking about consumers's food safety awareness, Chen commented that as long as they stick to products of good international brand name, there is little to be worried. The comment itself is not far from the reality in China. However, it is a disservice to ordinary Chinese people who can't afford brand name products, and an irresponsible attitude as a chief government official in food safety in China.

Chen Junshi's title includes Director of National Food Safety and Risk Assessment Expert Committee, and Director of National Food Supplement Academic Committee (a industrial association), which is a clear conflict of interest.

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