Pork firm deal to help restore consumer trust

My family has started buying Shuanghui products again after the largest Chinese pork producer announced a bid to acquire US pork giant Smithfield two weeks ago. It was not an easy decision because we had shunned Shuanghui sausages and ham for years after it was reported to have sold pork from pigs that had been fed banned additives, which made the pigs leaner but posed a health risk to humans.

Like many other Chinese consumers who live in constant fear of food contamination, we have developed our own safety rules while shopping for meat: We don't buy a brand that has been recently involved in a food safety scandal and we avoid cheap, mass-market products because of concerns that the producers may have cut corners to control costs. Unfortunately, Shuanghui fits both.

But we have decided to give Shuanghui a second chance since it is associating with a foreign pork producer that has a reputation for maintaining high quality. We hope the acquisition plan has prompted the company to conform to international standards and rules, as it has denied any intention of changing Smithfield's practices and wants the business "to stay the same but better".