Four in five of people who have been buying China-made products said they are continuing to do so.

While they are aware of the food safety scares, they said that they trust the authorities here would do checks to ensure that China food sold here is safe.

They also point out that the food scandals are isolated incidents in China.

Engineer Peng Xiang, 44, who buys China canned fish and leek, said. 'I don't have any serious issues with China-made food products. The food safety scares should not be made to seem like a country-wide problem.'

However, many of the consumers who are not scared off by the food safety scandals said that to play safe, they stick to well-known China brands.

Mr Leo Edmon, 26, who is unemployed, said: 'I'll still buy the products, but I'll check the expiry dates and labels. And I won't buy if it looks like a cheap brand.'

Civil servant Melvin Yeoh, 35, who buys vegetables such as chye sim and kai lan from China, said he takes extra care in washing them.

Some consumers said that their fondness for some China food products overrides their concerns.

Housewife Josephine Lee, 63, said half-sheepishly: 'Honestly, I'm wary of these China products, but I really like to eat the braised peanuts and fish with black beans.'

Figures from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), which deals with food safety issues here, showed that fresh China produce makes up only a small proportion of the total fresh produce sold here: Vegetables made up 24.1 per cent, pork 5.9 per cent and fruits 18.2 per cent last year.

The AVA said that besides routine inspections on food items, it consistently intensifies checks on specific areas following world food hazard situations.

Last year, it rejected 16.9 per cent of Madam Lee's favourite canned dace from China because there were traces of malachite green, a toxic chemical used to get rid of parasites.

This year, 41.6 per cent of the salted duck eggs and 26.1 per cent of the century eggs from China were rejected after they were found to contain a cancer-causing industrial dye called Sudan II.

Last week, the AVA conducted tests on the White Rabbit sweet and confirmed that it was safe to eat, following reports in the Philippines that the sweet had contained formaldehyde, a preservative used in the embalming of bodies.

Corporate communications executive Pauline Koh, 33, still buys canned luncheon meat, canned button mushrooms and fresh vegetables from China.

She said: 'I trust that the relevant authorities are doing their job.'

EATS A SCARY