Killer Syrup made in China?
Apparently a cheap substitue for glycerin called diethylene glycol, is being substituted in medicines coming from China. Diethylene glycol is used as an industrial solvent and is a major ingredient in antifreeze. According to this article thousands have died worldwide.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/world/4779165.html
Research done at the New York Times revealed that shipments of this syrup originated in China and were used solely because they were cheaper than glycerin. One syrup maker isn't even licensed to produce the stuff. He found that it was cheaper, swallowed some of it and after nothing happened started shipping it to major pharmaceutical companies in China.
The challenge for this article is the international game of connect the dots. The barrels of syrup were shipped from country to country before they made it here. Also the labels had been tampered with to prevent them being traced to the original manufacturer. This story highlights how a paper with a considerable budget can track down stories other papers can't. I'm sure this took a lot of time and research to uncover. I'm guessing that a Times reporter actually flew to China to track down the source of the syrup.
The Associated Press also reported on the story which was published in the Seattle Post Intelligencer.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Panama_Tainted_Medicine.html
Even the Associated Press quotes the initial New York Times story. This story is really a shorter rehash of the lengthy Times story.
I think the New York Times must be doing something right if the Associated Press is quoting them. Or they just have more time and resources.