5/26/2011

Exploding Watermelons, Latest Food Scandal in China





A farmer, Liu Mingsuo was hoping to cash in on his watermelon farm this year. But now he’s counting his losses after his watermelon crops began exploding on the ground.

Liu only started growing watermelons this year. He says a local agricultural expert advised him to spray his crops with a type of chemical. It’s supposed to make the melons grow bigger and taste sweeter. But in a bizarre twist, the watermelons began bursting open, well before they were ripe. In just one morning, Liu had to throw out more than 11,000 pounds of his crops.

Farmers nearby are also finding their watermelons exploding. Even those with crops that seem fine are having difficulty selling them, because fruit markets fear they could explode later.

This is the latest case of Chinese food producers trying to make a quick buck by artificially boosting their products. Some netizens say they’re glad the watermelons exploded on the farms because now the chemicals won’t reach their mouths.

The Chinese regime has allowed wider media coverage of food scandals recently. It comes after growing public anger over a series of toxic or dangerous foods that have made their way to consumers.


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