Further Understanding of the Food Safety Problem

Xingxing MEI，Zhongchao FENG*，Pinghua HE，Yawen GAO，Yuqin DAI，2

1.College of Economics and Management，Huazhong Agricultural University，Wuhan 430070，China；2.School of Economy and Trade，Hunan University of Commerce，Changsha 410205，China；3.School of Fine Art and Design，Hubei University of Science and Technology，Xianning 437000，China

1 Background

With rapid development of China's social economy，people are advancing towards the well-off society，so the demands for foods not remain at having enough to eatanymore，butare turned to quality and safety.However，in the common concern of the whole society，there are hundreds of food accidents［1］.In these accidents，toxic cowpea accident，leanmeat powder，and fake honey are typical accidents.In recent years，frequent occurrence of food accidents indicates close concern of the public for food quality and safety，and also indicates that sharp increase in demands for food quality and safety as special public goods.However，public feature should be provided by public department.Government，as agent of public department，should take food quality and safety as one of its basic responsibilities.From the perspective of product feature，ensuring food quality and safety needs certain supervision ability.Taking edible agricultural products as an example，from 2001，agricultural administrative department built test，supervision and law enforcement system for quality and safety of edible agricultural products，which plays a key role in improvement of food quality and safety in China.

The approach for filling the gap of social demands for public goods is mainly market regulation and government intervention.Historical experience of some foreign economically developed countries，there is also social problem of insufficient supply of food quality and safety in American-European countries.Taking the United States and UK as an example，there were food accidents in the 20th century［2］.Foreign historical experience indicates thatmarket behavior takesmaximization of personal benefits or utility as the core.When food quality and safety information is not symmetrical，it is easy for market transaction act of foods to deviate from social expectation，or even bad money drives out good，in otherwords，it is not able to realize social demands for food quality and safety only relying onmarket force［3-6］.Similarly，from the perspective of government intervention，although government organization functionshave experienced near a hundred years of reform，the supervision function is still not clear and the supervision efficiency is still very low［3］.Government is not God.For supervision of food quality and safety，administrative intervention is often a potential threatbecause supervision power ofgovernment is usually captured by interest groups.As a result，the supervision power loses efficiency and administrative intervention fails to ensure effective supply of food quality and safety［7－9］.

American-European countries still fail to solve their food quality and safety problem well using marketmechanism and supervisionmechanism.China，with newmarketeconomy，will have greater difficulty in solving this problem relying on administrative intervention［10－13］.Both domestic and foreign experience shows that existing marketmechanism and supervision mechanism have not radically solve the problem of food quality and safety.But if there is no problem inmarketmechanism and supervision mechanism，will social demands for food quality and safety be satisfied certainly？

From the dynamic perspective of social development，government intervention and market transaction act are subsets of social regulations.When there are changes of external environment such as social condition，there will be change in act selection field.If government intervention act and market transaction act rules are not adjusted accordingly，the ability of ensuring food quality and safety will give a great discount［14］.Thus，analysis of food quality and safety problem should also start from external environment fac-tor of social institutional change apart from governmentandmarket factors.Induced institutional change theory tells us that external environment conditions promoting changes of system demands and decision-making structure of original institutional environment mainly include socialeconomy，environmentscience and technology，and cultural cognition［15］.

2 Analysis on causes of food quality and safety problem

2.1 Improvement of econom ic level promotes evolution of consumption demands for foodsAccording to Maslow's hierarchy of human needs theory，the human needs include five levels，namely，biological and physiological needs，safety needs，belongingness and love needs（interpersonal communication needs），esteem needs，and self-actualization needs.For quality and safety of edible agricultural products，the first levelmeaning is that total supply shall be at least equal to total demand，namely，satisfying quantity demand；the second level meaning is that quality conforms to nutrition and sanitation standard，namely，satisfying safety demand.Therefore，quality and safety of edible agricultural products are based on quantity safety.

Since the reform and opening-up，per capita annual consumption of domestic residents rose from 184 yuan to 12570 yuan，Engel coefficient of urban and rural residents dropped about a half，and living conditions of the masses are greatly improved.People start to care about food nutrition and sanitation quality and safety［16］.High quality and safety edible agricultural products have hugemarket demands，leading to insufficienteffective supply and providing possibility for inferior food sold at high price.For example，the＂body builder pigs＂accident in 2011，Clenbuterol and Ractopamine（known as leanmeat powder）were added to pig feed to lower the fat content.Economic development and rise of absolute income and consumption of residents promote formation of diversified consumption ideas.This gives no cause formuch criticism，but it also expedites the emergence of lopsided demand.When the food quality and safety information is not symmetrical，demand-centered market willmake every effort to increase additives to cater to such lopsided demand.As a result，various food quality and safety accidents occur.

2.2 Incomp lete socialist core value concept becomes breeding ground for food quality and safety problem

2.2.1Localized interest brings about prevalentmoral turpitude.In traditional rural society，human relation remains in the Differential Model of Association，and such model survives relying on social credit［17］.Passing on from generation to generation，such social creditbecomes a unique cultural or core value of rural society.On the basis of common social experience，people's behavior selection is influenced or dominated by such culture.Thus，food production and operation activities are no exception.In the framework of social common core value，there is no soil for breeding the awareness ofmanufacturing and selling the fake and the possibility of food quality and safety problem ismeager.Current socialeconomy suffers from influence of western capitalism，and the public idea for traditional social value is gradually weak.At the same time ofselfdevelopmentof social cultural system，itblindly propagates capitalism based freedom concept.As a result，domestic social value system is losing its core and soul of local feature，traditional value concept is gradually abandoned，and new value concept is not absorbed and accepted for the time being.Facing loss of core value conceptand temptation of actual benefit，in the conflict betweenmaximization of personal benefit and old cultural value concept，profit-seeking idea and mammonism propagate and consequently lead to various accidents.For example，profit-seekers use alginate and sodium benzoate to make eggs.The cost is less than 0.1 yuan，but the profit is 5-10 times the normal eggs.Similarly，lawless people use Sudan Red to make red yolk duck eggs，and use industrial alum tomake fake honey，to seek huge profit.AsMarx once described the pursuitof capitalists for profit，＂With adequate profit，capital is very bold.A certain 10%profit will ensure its employment anywhere；20%certain will produce eagerness；50%，positive audacity；100%willmake it ready to trample on all human laws；300%，and there is not a crime at which itwill scruple，nor a risk itwill not run，even to the chance of its owner being hanged.＂From the perspective of capital profit driven economy，the loss of socialist core value is the root cause for frequent occurrence of domestic food quality and safety accidents.

2.2.2Indifferent social relationship.In traditional rural society，the circulation of people and thins is small.In the long time of living，people，thingsand environmentgetacquainted with each other.In local environment，acquaintance relation is formed，extending to the whole society，it is acquaintance society.In acquaintance society，even ifwhen the legal system is not perfect，simply relying onmoral restraint of acquaintance society still can realize high guarantee ofquality and safety of agricultural products.However，with rapid social change，the relationship formed in such acquaintance society is gradually becoming present contractual relation［17］.Such change weakens interpersonal relationship and creates condition for lawless people breaking themoral restraintof social relation，and become indifferent to public health.Asa result，food quality and safety accidents frequently occur.

2.2.3Collective feeling is indifferent.Collective feeling refers to the emotional response of the collective formed by groups with common economic foundation，ideological foundation，political purpose，and social benefit，to objective things.It is the product of civilized society.Proper expression of collective feeling can generate positive force for social development；otherwise it will bring aboutmany damages to the society［18］.

Since quality and safety of edible agricultural products have the nature of public goods，different social classes and groups become collective with common benefit foundation.However，this benefit collective is different from family groupswith blood relation as the link.Members of family group have higher centripetal force and are highly consistent in expressing feelings to objective things.The emotional expression of an individual to a certain issue exerts less influence on society than collective.Therefore，through spontaneously forming a collective with core benefit，it is expected to realize＂private＂economic benefit through certain institutional arrangement［19］.When personalbenefit is compensated，itwill generate centrifugal force of feeling to the collective.Then，it is indifferent to othermembers in the collective.When personal benefits ofmore collectivemembersare compensated，the entire collective will lose the cooperation ability.Similarly，different benefit collectiveswill have differentemotional appeal.When benefitof a collective is satisfied，it will be indifferent to other collectives.Taking the pollution of dairy products in China as an example，some dairy product enterprises are indifferent to public benefitand use chemical compounds tomake dairy products.Finally，it leads to bankruptcy of Sanlu（Three Deer）Milk Powder Group.Some other productswere notmoved by bankruptcy of Sanlu and continued to do illegal things.At last，the brand image ofentire Chinese dairy product industry collapsed.

2.3 Uncertainty of science and technology increases risks of food quality and safety

2.3.1Double edged sword of science and technology.Improvement of science and technology enriches additives of foods，expands food production and processing process，increases food production efficiency to a certain extent，and improves food artistic quality and taste.But indefinite and incomprehensive feature of scientific and technological development will bring about certain social risks.For example，invention and application of pesticide，chemical fertilizer，hormone，additive save labor and improve product quality，but they also lead to pollution and damage of natural environment and increase risk of quality and safety of edible agricultural products.

2.3.2Evaluation system of science and technology is not perfect.Facing double-edged sword of scientific and technological products to social economic development，if there is perfect science and technology risk evaluation system，risks of science and technology can be controlled.Otherwise，risks have high uncertainty.In the times of backward science and technology，science and technology level is low and development speed is slow，and every technology will be fully tested.Those not conforming to social development and detrimental to public health will die out.At present，science and technology develop rapidly and scientific and technological achievementshave high conversion rate.Asa result，self-evaluation and rectification functions of modern science and technology developmentand application are degrading.In addition to various scientific and technological achievements，uncertainty of scientific and technological risks is increased，and controllability of scientific and technological risks is reduced.All of these bury hidden danger for food quality and safety.

From the causes leading to quality and safety problem of edible agricultural products，science and technology are essential conditions.If there isa perfectevaluation system for application of scientific and technological application，the negative influence of science and technology will stay at controllable experimental stage.Taking plant growth regulator as an example，there is definite and strict provision on use of regulator in Europe and the United States.In Japan，there is sufficient financial fund for use of regulator.Finally，Japan guarantees food quality and safety through strict scientific and technological risk evaluation measures.In China，science and technology evaluation system is not well established，leading to frequent occurrence of food quality and safety accidents，such as antibioticmatter andmelamine have become killer of food quality and safety.

2.4 Lack of rational social cognition triggers occurrence of food quality and safety accidents

2.4.1Cognition conceptof food quality and safety isnotmature.Food quality and safety problem is the possibility of exerting harmful influence risk on health.In the same period，different groups have different understanding of the same issue；in different period，the same group will have different understanding of the same issue.The same food quality and safety judgment follows different criterion.In other words，immature cognition conceptmay bring about propagandized food quality and safety accident.For example，the accident of rare earth in tea exceeding national standard.At present，rare earth content in tea ismeasuredmainly in accordance with Determination of Rare Earth Elements in Plant Food.This standard is applicable to edible agricultural products，including vegetable，wheat and tea.Tea is often used after soaking，while vegetable and wheat are basically completely eaten by us.Sincemore than 3／4 rare earth in tea is difficult to be dissolved in hotwater and remains in residue，rare earth content in tea is less than 1／4 of total amount.Different edible agricultural products have different eatingmethods，but uniform measurement standard brings about dispute and consequently leads to quality and safety accident.

2.4.2Social public lacks logic.Networkmedia such as Microblog and WeChat show prominent power on food quality and safety accident，and the information dissemination method is gradually favored by the public and becomesmajor battlefield of public opinions.Once food quality and safety accident occurs，if the public fail to obtain prompt reply of the government about relevant accident，they willmisunderstand or question government.Some irrationalmedia or irresponsible network opinion leaders will conjecture relevant events in the first time and will exert influence on opinion of the public.Some netizens do not know the truth，but make response and take the network as their space for making complaints.Powerful public opinion in virtualworld influencesaction selection and value judgment of real society，leads to panic of the public，and brings about negative influence of social stability and economic development［20］.For example，ill orange rumor，and quality standard dispute of Nongfu Spring，the public think it is better to believe that it exists than it does not.As a result，the publicmake irrational choice and it brings about negative influence on development of entire industry.These show that the public lack logic and often express various guesses opinions and con-sequently bring about harmful influence.

2.4.3The public are highly sensitive but not tolerable to food quality and safety accidents.In recent years，frequent occurrence of various food quality and safety accidents and continued fermentation of old food quality and safety accidents generate multiplier effect in psychology of the public，so the public are highly sensitive to food quality and safety problem.On the other hand，in the psychology ofmultiplier effect，the public are nearly not tolerable to any food quality and safety problem.For example，Oxygen enriched water present byWahaha Company received question of the public and experts.In addition，CCTV Economic Half Hour program broadcastwatermelon swelling accident in 2011，which create harmful impression to the public.

3 Recommendations

Firstly，it is recommended to strengthen review of new technology research，developmentand application，tominimize uncertainty of safety risks.Supervision authoritiesmay imitate American and European countries to evaluate risks of food risk uncertainty and ensure risk controllability on precautionary principle or sound science principle.

Secondly，it is recommended to continue to reinforce public welfare activities of food quality and safety social propaganda，to make supervision authorities，scientific research institutions，and production organizations to becomemain force of relevantactions，disclose relevant information in time，let the public knowmore information，strengthen information asymmetry，and reduce question of the public.

Thirdly，it is recommended to cultivatemoral character of the whole society，form scientific and comprehensive food quality and safety concept，increase social tolerance of the enterprises，media and the public，but investigate source of malicious propagation，intercept the public opinion propagation approach，control trend of the public opinion development，severely punish those propagate false public opinions，positively respond to public opinions，and jointly cooperatewith other supervision authorities to take enforcementmeasures to punish law breakers inmost severemanner.

Fourthly，it is recommended to reasonably advocate cooperative administration.In themonitor of food quality and safety，government should mobilize themasses to participate in social public management，so as to lower the supervision cost.

4 Conclusions

In the process of social dynamic development，changes of external environment of social economy and science and technology，and culture lead to changesof social institutions or social rules.As internal subjects of the society，government or industry should consider consistencywith external environment.Otherwise，therewill be omission of various regulation variables.As a result，it will lead to imbalance of internal power structure in original institution mode，increase uncertainty of the public about food quality and safety，and bring about trust crisis of food quality and safety.Therefore，supervision authorities and the public should contemplate on possible problems of internal environment，attach great importance to changes of social economy，science and culture，and treat the food quality and safety problem with rational，systematic，and development eyes.

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