The glorious history of Huarong mustard industry
Thirty years ago, Huarong County was still a typical agricultural county, relying on wheat and corn as its main source of economic income. Local farmers have low incomes and are basically unable to eat rice.
It wasn't until the early 90s of the 20th century that several villagers began to try to grow mustard greens on small plots of land. Unexpectedly, in the spring of that year, these acres of mustard grew gratifyingly and the yield was extremely fruitful.
The villagers sold their mustard greens to the town market, where they were immediately snapped up by the greengrocers.
Seeing the prospect of mustard, more and more villagers in Huarong County joined the planting army. In a few years, the area of mustard planted in the county has grown rapidly to 10,000 acres. Mustard greens have brought considerable economic benefits to farmers, and many families who were originally poor in life have suddenly become rich.
They built tiled houses, bought televisions, and allowed their children to go to college after high school. Huarong County has sprung up because of mustard greens, and has become one of the top ten industries in large counties in the country.
The exposure and inside story of the "Laotan Sauerkraut" incident
On March 15 this year, CCTV exposed a shocking news - the inside story of the production of "Laotan sauerkraut" by the flag-planting vegetable industry in Huarong County, Hunan. It turned out that the so-called "Laotan sauerkraut" produced by this large-scale sauerkraut processing enterprise did not use Laotan fermentation at all, and all of them were purchased from surrounding farmers without any treatment, and after processing, they were directly sold with the trademark "Laotan" for profit.
According to the company's insiders, they distinguish between product standards for domestic sales and external exports. The exported sauerkraut must be cleaned at least the most basic, but the soil pit sauerkraut sold internally is directly bagged and weighed, and even the minimum sanitary conditions are not available.
What's even more exciting is that the employees in the company's production workshop often directly grasp the sauerkraut with their hands, and some workers even walk barefoot in the sauerkraut pile. It's disgusting.
The exposure of this incident immediately caused an uproar across the country. A large number of Laotan sauerkraut Recall was removed from the shelves, and consumers were excited, demanding a thorough investigation of the truth of the incident and severe punishment of relevant enterprises.
Traditional and transformational needs of soil pit sauerkraut
The sauerkraut fermentation method originated from a traditional home-based pickling method in rural southern China. In the busy season, the villagers dig a big pit in the field, pour the freshly cut cabbage with salt brine into the pit for compaction, and then use film to seal the pit and ferment it for 3-6 months.
The flavor of this local method of soil pit sauerkraut is unique, and it is also in line with the taste of ordinary families.
With the development of society and the acceleration of urbanization, people today will no longer pickle pickles by themselves. They are more Xi to buying factory products with standard packaging and reliable quality.
Therefore, sauerkraut enterprises must change the traditional handicraft workshop mode of the cellar type, establish a sound GMP system and food quality and safety system, and ensure the traceability of raw materials at the source and the hygiene and safety of products.
Only the recognition of customers is the foundation of the enterprise. This is not only the duty of food companies, but also the only way out for the entire industry.
The bleak scene after the incident came to light
After the "Laotan Sauerkraut" incident was exposed, it quickly set off an uproar. First of all, the purchase market in many mustard producing areas in Hunan was completely suspended, and a large number of fresh mustard were unpaid.
Subsequently, well-known instant noodle brands such as Master Kong and Uni-President also announced that they would stop purchasing from enterprises involved such as the flag-planting vegetable industry.
This has put more than 200,000 acres of mustard in Huarong County, which has been planted with seedlings, into a very embarrassing situation. What should have been a harvest season to rejoice in turned out to be cloudy. Many of the villagers who make a living by growing mustard greens have a look of worry on their faces.
The mustard seeds they had sown with hope now have to rot slowly in the ground. A stubble of tender green sprouts is also destined to become leftovers and rotten vegetables in the field.
"What if we plant it and can't sell it? What if we can't pay off the bank loan? What about the children's school fees?" Standing on the ground, many farmers complained with red eyes.
What they are waiting for is the early rehabilitation of the relevant departments and the thorough rectification of the enterprise.
A call for government and business to work together to resolve the crisis
At present, the "Laotan sauerkraut" incident has seriously affected the interests of tens of thousands of farmers in mustard producing areas. With the outbreak of this crisis, the government regulatory departments will naturally bear the responsibility for poor supervision, and the relevant enterprises should immediately stop production for rectification and comprehensively improve the level of product quality.
At this time, governments and businesses must work together to find the right medicine. For enterprises with problems such as the flag-planting vegetable industry, they must be dealt with seriously in accordance with laws and regulations, and they will never be soft. Regulators also need to reflect on the loopholes, such as whether there is local protectionism and less intensive supervision of local enterprises.
It is necessary to resolutely rectify and strengthen supervision to ensure that the people can eat at ease.
At the same time, we also call on consumers to remain rational and not to kill the whole industry with a stick. There are still a large number of enterprises that consciously standardize their operations to ensure product quality and safety. It is believed that through the major inspection after this incident, the mustard industry will become more standardized and provide high-quality products for the people.
The trust of ordinary people is more precious than money
Food is the bottom line of every enterprise's survival. The key to the survival of enterprises in the dark corners for many years lies in the fact that regulatory loopholes and potential safety hazards have not been effectively solved for a long time.
And once the problem is exposed, the brand reputation built up overnight will be ruined overnight. Enterprises should understand that the trust of the people is far more valuable than the immediate monetary benefits.
Quality is life, and only when an enterprise wins the recognition of consumers will its products be popular.
This incident is a wake-up call for the entire industry. It is believed that after experiencing a trough, the mustard industry will be rectified and innovated, transformed and upgraded, and finally move towards a standardized and branded road.
Those companies that are content with the status quo and have poor quality will eventually be abandoned by the market. Only with good products and excellent quality can Huarong mustard release greater value and benefit the society.