(Minghui.org) Chili powder containing the banned dye “Sudan Red” was recently identified in Taiwan. Officials have removed the affected products from sale and traced the source to suppliers in mainland China.
According to a report on Radio Free Asia on March 5, 2024, Sudan Red was detected in nine batches out of 59 from Chinese suppliers inspected by Taiwanese officials. According to the Office of Food Safety in the Executive Yuan, Sudan Red is classified as a Category 3 carcinogen and has been banned by many food regulatory bodies around the world.
Food safety issues caused by intentional adulteration in China have been alarming in recent years. From children’s deaths caused by imitation baby formula in 2004 to sewage tofu manufacturing in 2007, from recycled trench oil in 2010 to fake hot pot soup in 2014, the list is long and growing.
However, in recent years there have been some positive trends in the commercial sectors, which may offer a ray of hope for the future. In traditional Chinese culture, it is well known that mankind is watched over by the divine and one should therefore always be honest and kind. Although that tradition was nearly wiped out by the Chinese Communist Party, it is still honored today by practitioners of Falun Dafa, who follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in their daily lives.
In 2012 Minghui published an article titled “First-Class Chili Powder Leads to a Group of First-Class Businessmen.” The author produced chili powder and sold it wholesale. To reduce costs, he did what other chili powder manufacturers did by grinding up corn cobs, dying them with industrial dye (similar to Sudan Red but less harmful), and mixing the result into the chili powder. Ingesting this mixture would harm one’s health in the long run, but he felt he had no choice to avoid losing money.
After he began to practice Falun Dafa and study the teachings of Master Li (the founder of Falun Dafa), the author realized that what he had done in the past was wrong. Since he was tall and strong, he decided to do construction work instead of deceive consumers. So he ground up the remaining raw pepper, added nothing, and took it to the wholesaler. After he explained the situation and asked for more money, the distributor tasted it and said, “This is genuine, not adulterated at all. I’ll buy it—I want it no matter how expensive it is. There will be people who know the good stuff. It will sell well for sure.”
Before the author could find a construction job, the distributor sold out of the pepper powder and placed an order for more. That was how the author stayed in the business and made more and more money. Surprised by his success, other vendors asked how his business could be so profitable. “It is because I practice Falun Dafa and want to be a good person by following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” he told them. “I no longer make adulterated chili powder. I sell my genuine chili powder that costs more. Despite the increase in price, people still want to buy it.”
Gradually, other vendors also stopped adulterating their chili powder, and almost no one made or sold tainted chili powder in the region anymore. One retailer in the pepper market said, “Wow, Master Li’s Falun Dafa is quite powerful. His disciple has transformed himself into a good person and does not adulterate his goods. His first-class chili powder transformed us into a group of first-class businessmen.”
Real estate is a very competitive industry, and there are many tricks of the trade. But Luo Yongjia, a realtor in Taiwan, is special. Many of his clients consider him a friend and some have referred other clients to him. This is because Luo applies the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance to his daily life. That is, he is honest and considerate of everyone.
At first, some of his peers laughed at Luo, saying that one could not make any money without using some form of deceit. But as time passed, Luo did better and better. He believed that, although deception might lead to more business or profits in the short term, the lack of transparency could lead to troubles in the long run. He felt it was not worth it because the person would end up wasting a lot of time and energy resolving those issues.
For example, Luo closed a deal worth over NT $80 million (about US $2.5 million). According to the contract, the seller paid over NT $2 million in commission, but the buyer did not pay the agreed-upon NT $500,000 in commission. When Luo’s company asked him to follow up on this, the buyer knew he was wrong and paid Luo NT $200,000 under the table.
Considering himself a Falun Dafa practitioner, Luo gave the money to his company, which planned to sue the buyer for breach of contract and paying under the table. Luo said he would not recommend a lawsuit if it was for his benefit, but he would fully support it if it was for the company’s benefit.
After evaluating the pros and cons, the company decided not to file a lawsuit. Luo was not upset by his personal loss. As a practitioner, he knows that if the money is his, it will come to him anyway. The most important is maintaining one’s integrity and cherishing virtue.