「ギョーザ」判決 中国産食品の信頼確保が課題

The Yomiuri Shimbun January 22, 2014
After poisoning sentence, confidence in China's food exports must be ensured
「ギョーザ」判決　中国産食品の信頼確保が課題（1月22日付・読売社説）

How can the safety of the inexpensive Chinese food products that are eaten in Japan be ensured? This remains an important task facing both nations.
　安価な中国産食品の安全性をいかに確保するかは、今なお日中双方にとって重要な課題だ。

A Chinese defendant in the case involving the poisoning of frozen gyoza dumplings, which came to light in 2008, has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
　２００８年に発覚した中国製冷凍ギョーザ中毒事件で、中国人被告に無期懲役が言い渡された。

The defendant, then a temporary worker at a manufacturer of frozen gyoza, snuck into a freezing room at a factory in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, and injected organic phosphate insecticide into packages of gyoza, according to the ruling handed down by a court in the city Monday. The man wanted to cause a stir through the act, the sentence said, and through it push for better working conditions.
　中国河北省石家荘市の裁判所の判決によると、冷凍ギョーザの製造企業の臨時従業員だった被告は、工場内の冷凍庫に侵入し、注射器で有機リン系殺虫剤をギョーザに注入した。騒ぎを起こし、待遇改善を訴えたかったという。

Ten people in three families in Chiba and Hyogo prefectures developed symptoms of poisoning after eating imported gyoza that had been poisoned. One became temporarily unconscious. Several victims in China suffered similar symptoms as well.
　ギョーザを食べた千葉と兵庫の３家族１０人が中毒症状を起こし、１人が一時意識不明となった。中国国内でも被害者が出た。

The Shijiazhuang court had every reason to conclude the defendant’s behavior constituted a serious premeditated crime that damaged the health of a number of people.
　判決が「計画的で不特定多数の健康に被害を与えた悪質な犯行」と断じたのは当然だ。

In the initial stages of the incident, the Chinese government attempted to blame the whole matter on the Japanese side, insisting it was “extremely unlikely pesticide was put [into the gyoza] in our country.”
　この事件で、中国政府は当初、「国内で殺虫剤が混入された可能性は極めて小さい」と主張し、日本に責任転嫁しようとした。

Japan refuted this, basing its conclusions on evidence that included the results of scientific tests on the pesticide injected into the gyoza. The matter developed into a diplomatic row between the two nations.
　混入された殺虫剤の科学鑑定結果などをもとに、日本側は反論し、外交問題に発展した。

However, an extensive investigation by China found the poisoning had in fact resulted from the deliberate injection of a toxic substance into the gyoza at the Chinese factory.
　長期にわたる中国側捜査の結果、中国の工場内における人為的な毒物混入だったと判明した。

Tainted image

The case greatly tarnished China’s image in Japan, contributing to a worsening of the bilateral relationship. Though the case can be described as an extraordinary crime committed by a single employee, the incident catalyzed distrust among Japanese over the safety of Chinese food products in general.
　事件によって、日本での中国のイメージは大きく傷つき、日中関係の悪化に拍車がかかった。ひとりの従業員による特異な犯罪だったにもかかわらず、中国産食品全般への信頼が揺らぐきっかけになったとも言える。

The poisoned gyoza incident was followed by a number of similar cases in China. Incidents that have come to light include the distribution of powdered milk mixed with a toxic chemical and cadmium-contaminated rice. All of this has contributed to rising concerns over the safety of Chinese food products.
　中国国内では、事件後も、粉ミルクへの有害化学物質混入やカドミウム汚染米流通などが相次いで表面化し、中国産食品の安全性への懸念は強まっている。

The poisoned gyoza case spurred Japanese companies to tighten quality controls on Chinese food products. Measures taken by the many manufacturers that operate in China and trading houses that market Chinese food for Japanese consumption include more stringent tests on the amounts of agricultural chemicals used at Chinese farms and on the quality of processing materials used at Chinese factories.
　事件を機に、日本向けの中国産食品を扱う日系のメーカーや商社の多くは、農場での農薬使用量や加工原料のチェックを強化するなど、より徹底した品質管理を行うようになった。

Some Japanese companies have adopted measures to prevent toxic and other dangerous substances from contaminating their products by, for example, setting up security cameras at their factories in China and requiring workers to wear pocketless uniforms.
　工場内に防犯カメラを設置したり、ポケットのない作業服を導入したりして、異物混入を防ぐ対策を講じている日系企業もある。

In fiscal 2012, the percentage of safety violations involving food imports from China fell below the overall average for all imported foods, according to Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry statistics released last year.
　厚生労働省が昨年発表した１２年度の輸入食品監視統計によると、中国からの輸入食品のうち、安全面での違反件数の割合は、輸入食品全体の平均を下回った。

This has accompanied a recent rise in the volume of food imports from China. Though imports declined sharply after the poisoned gyoza case, the figure has almost returned to levels recorded prior to the incident.
　ギョーザ事件の影響により、いったん大きく落ち込んだ中国からの食品の輸入量は、現在ではほぼ回復している。

It is difficult to imagine eliminating Chinese food products from our household menus, as they can be produced at lower costs. Further efforts must be made to thoroughly ensure the safety of Chinese food, by manufacturers and all other entities involved in both nations.
　日本の食卓は、生産コストを低く抑えられる中国産食材を抜きにしては成り立たない。食の安全確保に万全を期す一層の努力が、双方の関係者に求められよう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 22, 2014)
（2014年1月22日01時33分  読売新聞）