# Forum Home Renovation Electrical  usb killer charger

## phild01

Does anyone understand why unapproved electrical items get through customs so easily?  It's like the government wants to have things regulated but just isn't concerned about breaches until someone gets killed.  These usb chargers are still for sale by Australian sellers on ebay.
Sent my complaint to Fair Trading, they might consider it in due course.

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## Armers

grey importing has been happening for a long time... they also don't always write the exact thing on the package... as far as i know, all customs really look for is banned/illegal items.  
Its been happening for years... its only as a result of something bad happening they they're now going to look into it. Good old knee jerk reaction.  
Cheers

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## paddyjoy

> Does anyone understand why unapproved electrical items get through customs so easily?

  This case sounded pretty nasty, getting electrocuted through a set of headphones  :No:  
Who decides what is approved and unapproved? If I manufacture an electrical appliance and follow all the guidelines in the australian standard is it then considered approved for use? or does every appliance need to get some form of formal approval?

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## swingbyte

If you intend to sell something it must be approved with the ce tick or equivelent -- or sothe rules say.  It is very expensive to go through the full test and approval so some just fake it.  A lot of cheap chineese just stamp everything with all ul ce etc stamps without going through the formal approval.  They probably don't have to fear about legal repercushions.

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## phild01

> If you intend to sell something it must be approved with the ce tick or equivelent -- or sothe rules say.  It is very expensive to go through the full test and approval so some just fake it.  A lot of cheap chineese just stamp everything with all ul ce etc stamps without going through the formal approval.  They probably don't have to fear about legal repercushions.

  So what is the answer to this.  HPM has been faked before and Masters electrical cable that decomposes, etc.  
If labeling is faked, how can we be assured an item is tested to comply with any standard.  How can reputable outlets be sure of this as well.  Doesn't seem to be a regulated market at all.  How can a store like Beacon know that the lights it sells would have Australian compliance.  I have seen a lot of crook lights sold by reputable outlets and don't believe anyone can really know these things until an accident occurs. What happens in China, stays in China I guess.

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## Jon

As the Fair Trading Commissioner said yesterday,  if it is a lot cheaper than everything else be wary.  Quality costs.

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## phild01

I don't believe that the old adage of price is the assuring factor anymore.  There are electrical items that stay under the radar no matter the price.

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## Sir Stinkalot

> As the Fair Trading Commissioner said yesterday,  if it is a lot cheaper than everything else be wary.  Quality costs.

  Quality may cost but so do ridiculous markups and profit margins.  
I get the feeling that quite often now with the power of the Internet it is possible to buy items directly from the manufacturer overseas  for close to the same cost as retailers.  
If a retailer brings in an item, adds the additional costs associated with doing so, adds a profit margin and now sells the item at $+y does that make it a better quality item than just $ without the additional costs? 
There are always going to be dodgy knockoffs around and you would hope that part of the premium price you are paying through a retailer would ensure a higher quality item ...... But I don't think it is that simple.

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## METRIX

> So what is the answer to this.  HPM has been faked before and Masters electrical cable that decomposes, etc.  
> If labeling is faked, how can we be assured an item is tested to comply with any standard.  How can reputable outlets be sure of this as well.  Doesn't seem to be a regulated market at all.  How can a store like Beacon know that the lights it sells would have Australian compliance.  I have seen a lot of crook lights sold by reputable outlets and don't believe anyone can really know these things until an accident occurs. What happens in China, stays in China I guess.

  A company like Beacon should have strict controls in place, I used to work for a company that imported 100% of it's product, and we had to ensure all product was complied with C-Tick, A-Tick and the numerous other requiremnts for handling, MSDS, labeling, cables etc, we had a team of 5 ful time staff who ooked after product compliance". 
We were audited by external on a regular basis, and if something wasn't right, such as a label was not applied correctly etc we had a set period of time to fix it or face fines. 
Big companies won't risk their products not complying, "that is the product you sell on the shelf at the retail outlet" but I doubt the little outlets you see selling dubious knock offs etc are all complied, it is only if someone complains about something that someone may audit a certain shop regardig their product
.
I know we used to see ebay sellers advertising their product had C-Tick compliance, which was blatently false, we used to ask for their SCN (Supplier Code Number) , most didn't know what we were asking for which means they were fake labels and dvertising, on one occasion we had one that initially would not supply this sayiing it was confidentail information !! WRONG, the SCN has to be printed on EVERY C-Tick label applied to a product, therefore it's not confidential. 
After a bit they supplied us a SCN, upon checking it belonged to someone else, we passed this informaiton onto our ACMA contact, they promptly followed this up, and closed the seller down quick smart, and I'm sure some fines were also issued. 
Saying all that won't stop dodgy sellers labeling and selling what they want, with grey imports, ebay and other methods of getting products in, the task of ensuring everything is complied and safe is impossible.
But I can say it would be vert rare for large retail outlets to sell something that is not complied. 
In the case of Masters selling tha electrical cable, I can only say this was an internal procedure failure, and having competent people and procedure in place to ensuring what they sell in legal, which they obviously didnt, 
My thinking on this one was that they were in such a rush to come to market to take on the green monster thet they didn't implement correct procedures for the stuff they sell, and in a bid to get their product on the shelf for 1c lower than green monster and make as much profit as possible they sold inferior non complied product, which they will suffer the consequences from the ACMA in relation to this.

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## phild01

> the SCN has to be printed on EVERY C-Tick label applied to a product, therefore it's not confidential.

  Should this number actually appear on the item itself?

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## johnc

Anyone can go to China purchase a container load of whatever they like and bring it in, unless it is something customs pull out for inspection it will be available for sale regardless of safety. It's probably something that will not change in our modern fast moving world. When goods are so free flowing and there is a reluctance to crackdown hard on items coming through our ports because of the impact on trade and commercial reality (profitability) then we probably have to beef up the legal ramifications with heavy fines and gaol terms for very dangerous goods. That then needs to be followed up with public education, really cheap goods probably are a high risk but paying full price is no guarantee either.

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## Random Username

Certainly from media coverage Customs seem to concentrate more of their enforcement resources raiding little market stores with monetary consequences (pirate DVDs and software, trademark infringements on Prada/Gucci/Dodgy Banana whatever handbags/sunglasses/perfume) than checking and regulating all the serious stuff where the cost is measured in lives.

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## Bros

I saw that report on TV and some other media outlets and one thing puzzles me and it is the length of time it took to highlight the non compliant charger as it would be very obvious as to the fact it was not compliant and the person was electrocuted an immediate warning should have gone out irrespective of weather the charger was the cause or not.
I am also a bit puzzled as to how the circuit was established we can all make guesses but we will have to wait until the results of the coronal inquest before we get the whole facts and then it would have been forgotten.
As for non compliant it is a case of sloppy manufacturing in future compliant labels will appear on the item counterfeit of course.
Also don't forget compliant equipment can kill as well not by electrocution but by fire.

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## phild01

> I saw that report on TV and some other media outlets and one thing puzzles me and it is the length of time it took to highlight the non compliant charger as it would be very obvious as to the fact it was not compliant and the person was electrocuted an immediate warning should have gone out irrespective of weather the charger was the cause or not.

  Yes, that is a good point.  But they do like to take time and do these things in due course don't they...idiots!
And still for sale on Ebay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/USB-Home-...afb4851&_uhb=1

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## METRIX

> Should this number actually appear on the item itself?

  Yes it should, but only for suppliers who were registered with the ACMA and have a SCN up to a certain dat, the SCN, is used for tracking back to the supplier, if something goes wrong and product recall is required. 
The ACMA is changing all the requirements for labeling, and moving away from the SCN code, and moving to a single compliance mark picture, and even being able to display the compliance on the LCD screen or similar, im not sure why they are removing the need for the SCN, IMO it will make it more difficult to trace any product back without a mandatrory SCN number. 
I havent dealt with the complianc side of product of r a few years, so I am unsure why they are dropping the SCN number, I had a look at the ACMA site, but could not find out why, the site has so much information in relation to labeling with Low, Medim and Hgh risk categories, BLAH BLAH BLAH, this is why there was a team of people where I worked just employed to look after this. 
The problem is with most cheap products, there is 100 different versions of the same product, just with different names, I would guarantee 99 of the 100 versions have no compliance, and are not built to any safety standard.
 Take a look at the below youtube, in relation to electrocution hazards from a cheap GU10 LED globe still freely available on ebay.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keaE7QTKTYE 
If you do a search on ebay for GU10 LED, you will see the same globes within the first 5 hits, if you change your search criteria to nearest first, you will see the same globe and similar variants of it being sold by Australian ebayers, they are showing CE and RoHS markings on the globes, which means nothing, as every product from China is stamped with these two marking irrespective of it's validity, there is no C-Tick labelling which would be required for this type of product, so therefore this is a non complied product freely being sold from a local supplier. 
I know of these globes, and I have been electrocuted from one of them, not from my own purchase but from another work colleague who said they were cheap, in fact he said they seemed "too cheap", yes they were too cheap as they were dangerous. 
We were using a perfectly safe insulated GU10 socket to test it out to compare it against a comventional Halogen, I put it in a few times, and one of the times I got electrocuted from it, I wasn't sure why only once I got zapped, but if you click on the link, it will explain why, after I got electrocuted I took the globe out and smashed it and threw it away telling my mate to NOT purchase any more of them. 
I would suggest if anyone has these globes installed anywhere, to remove them and dispose of them, and purchase AU certified versions, Bunnings sell the Click 5W GU10 with 110 spread beam for $67 for a 5 pack, these perform very well for only 5W, and are fully certified.   
Below is a small exert from one of the many technical documents available of the AMA wedsite, see the Red highlited text.  *Step 1—Comply with technical standards*    All devices covered by the EMC regulatory arrangements must comply with an applicable technical standard. 
The ACMA lists the applicable technical standards on its website (EMC standards list | ACMA).    If a device is in the scope of one of the applicable standards listed in Part 2 (Product family and equipment standards) of the list, then that standard should be used as the applicable standard.     Should a device be in the scope of more than one of the listed standards, the supplier should choose the standard that more closely matches   the primary function of the device.    If a device is not in the scope of any standards listed in Part 2, then the supplier must use one of the standards listed in Part 1 (Generic standards)   of the list as the applicable standard.    *Note: It is an offence under the Radiocommunications Act 1992 to knowingly supply a non-standard device.*    *Step 2—Labelling*    Suppliers of devices (other than low risk devices) covered by the EMC regulatory arrangements must affix a compliance label to the device before it can be supplied to the market. 
Labelling of low risk devices is optional.  
The compliance label comprises two parts - a compliance mark and information to identify the supplier of the device. The compliance label indicates that the device complies with an   applicable standard and provides a traceable link between a device and the supplier responsible for placing it on the Australian market. 
(See also the Labelling requirements summary fact sheet).     *Step 3—Record keeping*   
In addition to compliance with mandatory technical standards and labelling, suppliers of devices covered by the EMC arrangements are required to maintain documentary evidence (compliance records) to demonstrate that the device complies with the regulatory arrangements.      The level of evidence required to be maintained by the supplier varies depending on the risk of interference that may be expected from the device – high risk, medium risk and low risk.   (See also the Compliance levels fact sheet).     
All compliance records must be in English and may be kept in electronic form. Records must be kept for five years after the device ceases to be supplied in Australia.   The compliance records must be made available to the ACMA within 10 working days if requested

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## Bros

I would bet that without looking up the google university most posters here would no know what is legit and what isn't so how is the punter on the street likely to know. It us up to others who have the power to protect us from this garbage but I would suspect the departments that have these experts have long since been gutted and it would be impossible to keep up.
They probably rely on tombstone technology

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## phild01

:Arrow Up: Well said.

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## METRIX



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## METRIX

> I would bet that without looking up the google university most posters here would no know what is legit and what isn't so how is the punter on the street likely to know. It us up to others who have the power to protect us from this garbage but I would suspect the departments that have these experts have long since been gutted and it would be impossible to keep up.
> They probably rely on tombstone technology

  
At the end of the day the punter has no way of knowing what they purchase is either legit, safe or complied, but if your purchasing from a reliable Australian retailer then I can say 99.9% of the stuff is good. 
The problem comes in with stuff you get from $2 shops, and ebay, you can purchase good directly from a seller anywhere in the world and bring it in yourself, although this product may look real, and probably also has printed labels on it saying it complies, it means nothing. 
A bit of common sense is what’s needed, if something here costs $20, and you see the same thing on ebay for $2.99 delivered then chances are it’s a fake, that’s ok for a pair of shoes or handbag, but with 240v stuff this is crazy to buy it, because you have no way of knowing what’s inside it. 
From the outside it might look innocent and match the original with all the correct labels etc in the right place, but on the inside it will be inferior, with the possibility of electrocution or fire being a reality.
Working on product labelling is no guarantee of anything, as you can print what you want on the goods and say it complies, who’s going to question you? 
China has earned the reputation is has for producing junk, for a good reason and that’s because they have no controls in place to stop inferior goods leaving their country unlike here.
China has no set standards for manufacturing and no control on how or what is produced and what goes into making it, things like lead based paint, asbestos brake pads (Cherry and Great Wall cars imported in Australia) flammable plastics, inferior electronics, etc etc the list goes on forever. 
This hurts the manufacturers who are producing good quality product, as they all get tainted with the same inferior product brush, how often do hear someone say, oh it’s made in Taiwan / Malaysia or Korea, not very often as companies like Samsung, Hitachi and others have been producing exceptional products from these places for years, but as soon as you see it’s made in China you are wary immediately, this is a bad situation for China and one that will take many years to get over. 
What people need to understand there is 50 million small backyard factories in China producing goods and sending them everywhere, and until they can control this from their own country then the importation of dangerous good will never stop. 
It’s easy for us to say the powers here should do this, and should do that but this is an impossible task, think of the millions of parcels, and thousands of containers that enter the country a day, unless you want your product to sit in a holding bay for 6 months while they check it’s validity then inferior product will still come. 
China has 7 of the 10 busiest ports in the world, in 2012 those 7 ports alone shipped more than 136 million containers !! 
We are too quick to blame our guys here, but it’s China’s govt  that’s to blame for allowing these products to be produced and shipped, the end user is only taking advantage of the lack of controls there. 
It's like they say a good quality lock will only keep out an honest thief, a fully complied product will only be sold by an honest reseller. 
Buyer beware is my advice, if it looks too good to be true chances are it is.

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## Belair_Boy

> I know of these globes, and I have been electrocuted from one of them,

  Gee Metrix, you are doing well for a dead person.  :Biggrin: 
To be electrocuted is to be killed from an electric shock. as you are not dead you only received an electric shock (non fatal).
Pedantic I know but after years in the electrical testing field it I am compelled to make the distinction  :Rolleyes:   
Non complying electrical items are a huge problem and there is no easy answer.  Even the professional can't determine a non complying product without testing, so the average Joe has no hope.  With type testing it is up to the manufacturer to ensure the product they are selling is the same as the one sent for approval testing and there are plenty of reasons why this does not always occur.  Type testing to approval standards is not perfect but it is the best we have.  If you buy from a company where Australian law has some impact, you stand a better chance than buying off the internet where anything goes.

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## justonething

If a RCD device was present in the woman's house, mightn't have saved her life? A boy with a similar knock off was able to walk away alive to tell his tale.

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## Bros

> This hurts the manufacturers who are producing good quality product, as they all get tainted with the same inferior product brush, how often do hear someone say, oh it’s made in Taiwan / Malaysia or Korea, not very often as companies like Samsung, Hitachi and others have been producing exceptional products from these places for years, but as soon as you see it’s made in China you are wary immediately, this is a bad situation for China and one that will take many years to get over.

  Metrix I don't know how old you are but Japan was known as the "land of the two bob watch" when they started on their road to manufacturing and inferior products never hurt them as there was a lot of rubbish that came out of japan

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## METRIX

> Metrix I don't know how old you are but Japan was known as the "land of the two bob watch" when they started on their road to manufacturing and inferior products never hurt them as there was a lot of rubbish that came out of japan

  True, in the "old days"  general manufacturing world wide would be considered as crude in comparison to todays standards, 
Lets move forward to 2014, with all the technology / manufacturing techniques / knowledge / environmental concerns / information available now, it's unacceptable to produce domestic products with Asbestos, Kids toys using lead based paint, insulation with high levels of formaldehyde, electrical products which blatently flaunt any safety rules, and then flog it all off to the general public who put their trust that it has been manufactured is a safe way. 
I guess in Australia we have come to expect a high standard for products we buy, that they don't contain dangerous chemicals, or pose risk of death upon use, and it's only when we see the consequenses of what can happen by these simple cheap imported devices we appreciate the high standards we have here for products.

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## METRIX

Well today the Fair Trading stepped in for this charger, and raided a seller in Silverwater, not the same person who sold the fatal charger.  Western Sydney electronics supplier raided in crackdown on unsafe USB chargers - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

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## phild01

Let's hope they find the other sellers as well, I told them of at least 5.

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## Bros

> Let's hope they find the other sellers as well, I told them of at least 5.

  Might make you feel good but I wouldn't hold your breath as ebay is full of them from overseas.

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## phild01

Yes, but I think fair trading can systematically find and fine the the ones in Australia.

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## METRIX

In todays paper.

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## Bros

Now why am I not surprised

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## David.Elliott

I myself was here...
I required a couple of hundred USB power supplies, went online to SunSky electronics, and ordered 200 of them at roughly $2.00 each, + freight.
When they arrived in spite of all the labels, symbols, compliance codes printed on them, the two pins were not insulated as the standards say they should be. The image and sample I was supplied was.
I contacted the agent in China to be told they would replace them free if I just paid the freight. At this point I bailed and now have them in my office. I am concerned if I bin them they will be
"rescued". Something I do not want. I have been known to use one to charge my phone on occasion, but it does weird things when connected...no more. 
The whole attitude aligns with the melamine in the milk thing, the fake baby formula, and the video my wife was sent of cats and dogs being tied to trees and skinned alive. 
Apparently the meat is better when full of whatever the chemical released by the stress is. 
I'm no particular lover of animals but...really?
I do what I can to avoid buying products from there, but it don't leave much now...

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## phild01

One thing I now look at are foodstuffs and confectionery.  If it says New Zealand or South Africa I skip that product for fear it is a backyard import from China.  Getting hard to get Aussie Beetroot now.  Golden Circle used to be my pick, but no more.

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## justonething

China is the new wild west (or east) and because of the internet we are exposed to the risk somewhat like living there. Chinese manufacturing will no doubt mature in time, most probably with regulation and education. But how are we to protect ourselves in the meantime? Prosecuting those retailers may achieve justice for the crime committed, but it would do little because merchants will just operate outside of Australia. I remain convinced that if RCDs are installed at every house then the death would not have happened. I also think there is a need from either standard australia and governement to educate the public how to differentiate between a safe appliance and a non safe one. And it can't be purely based on price.

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## phild01

It's so interesting that the previous govt was so hell bent with dopey batts and solar schemes that they could not just instead identify and rectify every house in Aust that did not have RCD's fitted.  You are right to say how effective they are in saving life.  Why is this country so stupid when it comes to being practical.

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## johnc

If you demanded every home be fitted with RCD's by Christmas or be disconnected from the grid we would be swamped by articles about the nanny state or pensioners without power, if we gave a grant we would probably have a repeat of what happened to the batts with dodgy installers. I reckon it should be compulsory to have any rented home or a resale have RCD's fitted but I'm not sure how much initial support we would get. Let's face it we all accepted smoke detector laws but that was bi partisan these days regardless of what it is some idiot politician will put career opportunity ahead of community any day of the week which scuttles most new ideas.

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## phild01

> If you demanded every home be fitted with RCD's by Christmas or be disconnected from the grid we would be swamped by articles a....

  I wasn't thinking that extreme.  It could be more a pro-active thing rather than dictating.  And why would anyone find reason to object. Surely there aren't that many homes that don't have RCD's, and as I understand don't rentals and resales have to have these. 
edit:  I was meaning a scheme that was free, like batts and solar, so I think everyone might actually welcome it, knowing wherever they are, their lives have this protection.

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## paddyjoy

At least with the rcd option it is something within our control. Even if China matures to a point where everything meets our standards another cheaper country will emerge, undercutting Chinese prices and then we are back to square one again.

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## METRIX

> If you demanded every home be fitted with RCD's by Christmas or be disconnected from the grid we would be swamped by articles about the nanny state or pensioners without power, if we gave a grant we would probably have a repeat of what happened to the batts with dodgy installers. I reckon it should be compulsory to have any rented home or a resale have RCD's fitted but I'm not sure how much initial support we would get. Let's face it we all accepted smoke detector laws but that was bi partisan these days regardless of what it is some idiot politician will put career opportunity ahead of community any day of the week which scuttles most new ideas.

  I have looked at many houses for sale over the last 5 years, and I can say only 1 in 10 actually has smoke detectors installed, even though it's a mandatory point in the contract that they must be fitted. 
My last three houses had no smoke detectors fitted at purchase time, I don't understand why, as you can pick them up for under $10, This is the first thing I fitted to each house.

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## METRIX

> One thing I now look at are foodstuffs and confectionery. If it says New Zealand or South Africa I skip that product for fear it is a backyard import from China. Getting hard to get Aussie Beetroot now. Golden Circle used to be my pick, but no more.

  Agree, New Zealand is hurting it's own image, in the past I would have no problem buying food from New Zealand, but with the open trade agreement with Australia and not having to declare where it sources its food from then being able to package it in New Zealand and write made in New Zealand is wrong. 
McCain started it with their frozen vegetables coming from China !!, Now Woollies is bringing in many generic brands which are also made in China. 
The Woollies Home brand and Select Home brand is also mostly from China, you cannot tell me this can make good sense except from a profit situation.
Why can't the big local supermarkets support Australian growers and producers, 
I would say to everyone to check all packaging from the big supermarkets, look at where the product is made, and reject it if you want things to change.
I also believe that when a product says made from Australian and Imported ingredients, they should be made to disclose what ingredients came from where to make the product, if they have nothing to hide let the consumer be the judge if they want to purchase toe product..  
I can't wait until the new ALDI opens not far from me, it is the first stand alone store in the area, and RIGHT NEXT DOOR to WOOLWORTHS, HA HA HA HA, they must be spewing, as this Woolworths is one of the MOST EXPENSIVE in Sydney. 
Why is it that bananas cost $3.90 at my woollies and my mate lives 20ks away and they cost $1.90 ??, both stores are on major main roads in suburbia ???? 
Locals know for years the food produced in China is no good. Food Fumble - WSJ 
If you wonder why you should not trust made in China food see below for some of the incidents of food production in China and what they have substituted. 
Some examples, 
Sewerage to make Tofu, Human Hair to make Soy products, Duck meat marinated in Goat Urine, then passed off as Lamb, Their favourite chemical "Formaldehyde" used to make Blood Pudding, it goes on and on, how can you trust this food.    *Food safety incidents in China*  *Food safety incidents in 2003* *Poisonous Jinhua ham*
In 2003, several small producers of Jinhua hams (from Jinhua, Zhejiang) operated out of season and produced hams during warmer months, treating their hams with pesticides to prevent spoilage and insect infestation.[1] The hams were soaked in the pesticide Dichlorvos, which is a volatile organophosphate insecticide used for fumigation.[2] *Food safety incidents in 2004* *Counterfeit baby formula*
In April 2004, at least 13 babies in Fuyang, Anhui and 5060 more in rural areas of Anhui died of malnourishment from ingesting fake milk powder. In addition, 100200 other babies in the province suffered malnutrition but survived. Local officials in Fuyang arrested 47 people who were responsible for making and selling the fake formula and investigators discovered 45 types of substandard formula for sale in Fuyang markets. Over 141 factories were responsible for the production of the formula and Chinese officials seized 2,540 bags of fake formula by mid-April. The State Food and Drug Administration ordered an investigation in May, 2004.
The babies suffered from "big head disease" according to Chinese doctors. Within three days of ingesting the formula, the babies' heads swelled while their bodies became thinner from malnourishment. The fake formulas were tested to have only 1-6% protein when the national requirement was 10% protein. The government promised to compensate families and help cover medical bills. Most of the victims were rural families.[3][4][5]  *Adulterated pickled vegetables*
In June 2004, the Chengdu Quality Inspection Department released figures that only about 23% of all pickled vegetables produced in Chengdu, Sichuan had an acceptable amount of chemical additives. The labels on the pickled vegetables that was supposed to indicate the chemical content were also found to be inaccurate. In Sichuan, the factories had been using industrial-grade salt to pickle the vegetables and had been spraying pesticides containing high amounts of DDVP on the pickled vegetables before shipment.[6]  *Counterfeit alcoholic drinks*
In Spring 2004, four men died of alcohol poisoning in Guangdong and eight other men were hospitalized in the People's Hospital of Guangzhou. Wang Funian and Hou Shangjian, both from Taihe Town, died in May after drinking liquor bought from the same vendor. Two other men, one a migrant worker, died the previous night in Zhongluotan in Hunan. Authorities in the local health department suspected that the makers of the fake liquor blended industrial alcohol and rice wine, and closed several unlicensed liquor manufacturers.[7]  *Soy sauce made from human hair*
Stories began circulating in the press about cheap soy sauces made from human hair. These sauces were manufactured in China using a chemical amino acid extraction process similar to artificially hydrolyzed soy sauces and then quietly exported to other countries. An investigative report that aired on Chinese television exposed the unsanitary and potentially contaminated sources of the hair: ** **  
In response, the Chinese government banned production of soy sauces made from hair. Other carcinogens remain, see 3-MCPD. *Food safety incidents in 2005* *Sudan I Red Dye*
In 1996, China banned food manufacturers from using Sudan I red dye to color their products. China followed a number of other developed nations in banning the dye due to its links to cancer and other negative health effects. However, officials in the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the State Bureau of Industry and Commerce, and the State Food and Drug Administration discovered in 2005 that Sudan I was being used in food in many major Chinese cities. In Beijing, the Heinz Company added the red dye to chili sauce; in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Hunan, and Fujian, the red dye was discovered in vegetables and noodles. Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) used the red dye in its 1,200 restaurants, and medicine in Shanghai also contained Sudan I.
Companies in China had been using Sudan I illegally for years before 2005, and government officials gave two reasons why the 1996 ban had not been adequately enforced. The first reason was that there were too many agencies overseeing food production, creating loopholes and inefficiency. The second reason was that the government agencies were not equipped or trained with the food testing equipment that could have detected the dye earlier. Officials announced that they would begin to reform the food safety system on national and local levels.[9] *Food safety incidents in 2006* *Counterfeit drugs*
The State Food and Drug Administration reported that their officials had resolved 14 cases involving fake drugs and 17 cases involving "health accidents" at drug manufacturing facilities.[10] One of these incidents involved fake Armillarisni A; ten people injected with the fake drug died in May, 2006.[11][12] The drug quality inspectors at the factory that produced the Armillarisni A drugs failed to notice that the chemical diglycol had been added to drugs. In July, 2006, six people died and 80 more became sick after ingesting an antibiotic with disinfectant as an ingredient.[13] In 2006, the government also "revoked the business licenses of 160 drug manufacturers and retailers."[13]  *School food poisoning*
On September 1, 2006, more than 300 students at Chongzhou Experimental Primary School in Chongzhou, Sichuan got food poisoning after lunch. Of those, approximately 200 students had to be hospitalized due to headaches, fevers, vomiting, and diarrhea. The school was temporarily closed for an investigation.[14] On the same day, middle school students in Liaoning also got food poisoning after eating dinner at school. The Ministry of Education ordered an investigation, and officials suspected that the cause of the food poisoning was unsanitary conditions at the schools. During summer vacation, the schools had not been cleaned or disinfected, and the pupils might have been exposed to unsanitary food or drinking water when they returned in September.[15]  *Contaminated turbot fish*
In late 2006, officials in Shanghai and Beijing discovered illegal amounts of chemicals in turbot. As _The Epoch Times_ explained, "China started importing turbot from Europe in 1992. Currently, China's annual output is 40,000 tons. Since turbot have weak immune systems, some farmers use prohibited drugs to maintain their productivity, as their fish-farming technologies are not sufficient to prevent disease."[16] Shanghai officials from the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration found carcinogenic nitrofuran metabolites in the fish and Beijing found additional drugs, including malachite green, in its fish. Other cities, including Hangzhou, Zhejiang, have begun testing turbot fish and banning the turbot shipped from Shandong. Many restaurants in Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong stopped purchasing turbot after officials discovered the high amounts of illegal antibiotics.[17]  *Pesticide residue on vegetables*
In early 2006, Greenpeace tested vegetables in two Hong Kong grocery stores, Parknshop and Wellcome, and discovered that over 70% of their samples were covered in pesticide residue. Thirty percent of their vegetable samples exceeded safe levels of pesticides and several tested positive for illegal pesticides, such as DDT, HCH and Lindane. Greenpeace explained that nearly 80% of vegetables in these grocery stores originated from mainland China. John Chapple, manager of Sinoanalytica, a Qingdao-based food analysis laboratory, supplemented Greenpeace's information. He was not surprised by the findings and explained that farmers in China have little knowledge of correct pesticide use.[18]
Although many Chinese farms are converting to organic agriculture, pesticide use in many areas remains high.[19]  *Infected snail meat*
In June, July, and August 2006, the Shuguo Yanyi Restaurant in Beijing served raw Amazonian snail meat and, as a result, 70 diners were diagnosed with angiostrongylus meningitis. The snail meat contained _Angiostrongylus cantonesis_, "a parasite that harms people's nervous system" causing headaches, vomiting, stiff necks, and fevers.[20] No one died from the meningitis outbreak and the Beijing Municipal Office of Health inspection did not find any more raw snails in 2,000 other restaurants. However, the Beijing Municipal Office of Health prohibited restaurants from serving raw or half-cooked snails and disciplined the Shuguo Yanyi Restaurant. The Beijing Friendship Hospital, where the first meningitis case was treated, began a program to educate doctors on the treatment of angiostrongylus meningitis. The Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention explained that these meningitis cases were the first outbreaks since the 1980s.[21]  *Poisonous mushrooms*
In December 2006, sixteen diners were hospitalized after eating a poisonous variety of boletus mushrooms in Beijing at the Dayali Roast Duck Restaurant. The mushrooms caused nausea, vomiting, and dizziness and the ill diners were treated at the Bo'ai Hospital and the 307 Hospital of the People's Liberation Army.[22]
In November 2006, Chinese authorities at the Ministry of Health had warned of the rising number of mushroom poisonings. "From July to September, 31 people were killed and 183 were poisoned by toxic mushrooms."[23] Officials worried that the public could not accurately separate edible mushrooms from poisonous ones.  *Food safety incidents in 2007* *Counterfeit drugs*
According to John Newton of Interpol, Chinese organized crime is involved in working across national boundaries and faking drugs on an industrial scale, now appearing throughout Africa.[24] China Central Television cited an official saying those making the false albumin were making a 300% profit, assisted by shortages of the genuine product.[25]  *Alleged carcinogen used in frying oil*
In March 2007, the Guangzhou Information Times accused Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) of adding oil filtering powder, magnesium trisilicate, to its frying oil. It reported that KFC restaurants in several cities in Shaanxi this chemical so that the frying oil could be used repeatedly for up to ten days. KFC pointed out that the additive is considered safe by United States and international standards, but health officials in Xianyang, Yulin, and Xi'an, inspected their local KFCs and confiscated the frying powder. Officials in Guangzhou also began in investigation into the frying oils, and the cities requested that the Ministry of Health step in.[26][27] KFC stated that the oil filtering powder does not cause health problems and meets local and international standards, but local Chinese authorities claimed that reusing the powder decreased its nutritional value and that it was connected to cancer. Magnesium trisilicate is commonly used in medicines such as antacids, and is widely considered to be safe for human consumption with no known connections to cancer.  *Contaminated wheat gluten and rice protein used for export*
In May 2007, The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine (AQSIQ) confirmed that two domestic companies had exported melamine-contaminated wheat gluten and rice protein blamed for the deaths of dogs and cats in the United States.[28] In August 2007, AQSIQ introduced recall systems for unsafe food products and toys and on December 3, 2007, China ordered 69 categories of products to be bar-coded at factories amid efforts to improve product safety, in response to several recent incidents, including: "scares rang[ing] from ducks and hens that were fed cancer-causing Sudan Red dye to make their egg yolks red, to pet food made of melamine-tainted wheat protein that killed scores of dogs and cats in the United States."[29][30] See also 2007 pet food crisis.  *Sewage used in tofu manufacturing*
Close to a hundred manufacturers of stinky tofu in Guangdong were found to use a combination of sewage, slop, and Iron(II) sulfate to accelerate production and improve appearance of their fermented product.[31]   *Food safety incidents in 2008*  *Tainted Chinese dumplings*
See also: ChinaJapan relations
In January 2008, several Japanese people in the Hyōgo and Chiba prefectures fell ill after consuming Chinese-produced _jiaozi_ (pork dumplings) tainted with the insecticide methamidophos.[32][33][34][35][36][37] The dumplings had been produced by the Tianyang Food Plant in Hebei[38] and sold by JT Foods and the Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union. Kyodo News reported that about 500 people complained of agonies.[39] On February 5, 2008, Hyōgo and Chiba prefectural police announced that they were treating these cases as attempted murder.[40] and both prefectural police departments established a joint investigation team. 
When Japanese police and other prefectural authorities inspected the recalled dumplings, they found pesticides other than methamidophos, including Dichlorvos and Parathion.[41][42][43][44] The Japanese National Police Agency found these toxins in packages that were completely sealed,[45][46] concluding that it would have been nearly impossible to insert such toxins into the packages from the outside.[47] They provided the test results to the Ministry of Public Security of China (MPS).[48]
Investigations jointly held by both the Chinese and Japanese governments cleared the Chinese company of responsibility after finding no traces of any poison in the raw material used nor in the factory.[49][50] Officials are now treating this incident as a deliberate poisoning, and an investigation is underway.[51] On February 28, 2008 the MPS criminal investigation bureau announced that there was little chance that methamidophos had been put into the dumplings in China, and declared that the Japanese police had rejected the requirement by the MPS to check the scene, relative material evidences, and test reports, thus information on the evidence was not fully provided to the MPS.[52] On the same day, Hiroto Yoshimura, the Commissioner-General of Japan's National Police Agency, argued against the Chinese authorities that the Japanese had already offered test results and photographic evidence and claimed that some part of China's assertion "cannot be overlooked".[53][54] They asked Chinese authorities to offer evidence.[55]
On August 5, 2008, Japanese media revealed that some Chinese people who had eaten the recalled Chinese dumplings made by Tianyang Food had also become sick after the incident in Japan, in mid-June 2008; the cause was again found to have been methamidophos contamination.[56][57][58][59][60] The Chinese government alerted the Japanese government to this fact just before the 34th G8 summit in July 2008. The _Yomiuri Shimbun_ reported that this incident has increased the suspicion of foods produced in China.[61]  *Contaminated powdered ginger*
In July 2008, it was announced that the Whole Foods supermarket chain in the United States had been selling powdered ginger produced in China, which was labeled as organic food, but when tested was found to contain the banned pesticide Aldicarb.[62][63][64] The ginger had been mistakenly certified organic by Quality Assurance International, who relied on two Chinese certifiers because, under Chinese law, foreigners may not inspect Chinese farms.[65]  *Contaminated baby formula*
Main article: 2008 Chinese milk scandal
In September 2008, a fresh outbreak of kidney disease occurred, due to baby formula contaminated by melamine. Six babies died and 294,000 were made sick by the tainted formula with 51,900 requiring hospitalization.[66][67] The supplier of the milk, Sanlu Group, is a name brand and is a major player in the industry in China. The company is said to have known of the problem for months, but claims the contaminant came from milk suppliers.[68][69]  *Contaminated egg products*
In October 2008 news emerged certain egg products produced by Hanwei Group were also contaminated with melamine.[_citation needed_]  *Food safety incidents in 2009*  *Plastic tapioca pearls*
Tapioca pearls used for bubble tea were adulterated with macromolecular polymers to improve their texture.[70]  *Pesticide in mantou*
To improve the chewiness and texture of the mantou (steamed buns) the pesticide Dichlorvos was added. In addition, sulphur was used to whiten the buns to improve their physical appearance.[71]  *Goat urine duck meat*
Businesses in Qingdao, Shandong have been caught marinating duck meat in goat or sheep urine to give the duck the smell and taste of lamb. The duck is then sold as lamb to customers.[72]  *Formaldehyde blood pudding*
Inspectors in Wuhan, Hubei discovered that most of the pork blood pudding in Chinese markets contain little actual blood, but is manufactured with formaldehyde, corn starch, industrial grade salt, in addition to artificial food colouring.[73]  *Food safety incidents in 2010* *Gutter oil*
Main article: Gutter oil  *Dyed Green beans*
Hunan police found businessman put soybean to toxic lotion and camouflage green beans.[74][75]  *Contaminated strawberries*
October 2012, contaminated strawberries from China infected over 11 thousand children in Germany with Norovirus.[76]  *Food safety incidents in 2013*  *Pork Meat Scandal*
March 2013, over 15000 dead pigs had been found drifting in Huangpu River,[77] caused by a crack-down on illicit pig-trade in Zhejiang. As reported by Shanghaiist, local pork dealers had been buying up dead meat unfit for sale, processed it in illegal workshops, and then re-introduced the products into the legal market.[78]  *Lamb Meat Scandal*
May 2013, the Ministry of Public Security released a press statement[79] warning Shanghai consumers of lamb meat that inadvertently have been either rat, fox or mink meat.[80] According to some sources,[81] respective fake lamb meat also reached Yum-owned "Little Sheep" hot pot chain restaurants, though Yum itself declined these rumours.[82]  *Recycled Out-of-date food*
June 2013, Wenzhou police uncovered 10 underground mills in Zhejiangs Cangnan County, in addition to large amounts of chemical additives and coloring agents, which were used to clean out-of-date chicken drumsticks, wings and ducks heads prior re-selling them to public.[83]  *Beef Meat Scandal*
September 2013, according to JRJ[84] and Shanghaiist[85] six workshops nearby Xi'an, Shaanxi, have been shut down that produced fake beef meat using pork meat and mixing it with chemicals, including paraffin wax and industrial salts.  *Cat Meat Scandal*
October 2013, cat meat, slaughtered at a "black" slaughterhouse in Huai'an City near Shanghai, was sold to butchers or at local markets under the guise of rabbit. Some of the cats were kept alive and shipped to the southern provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi where they were sold for around 10 yuan (£1) per animal.[86][87]  *Food safety incidents in 2014*  *Gutter oil scandal* Gutter oil is a term used in China to describe illicit cooking oil that has already been used and is then processed by cleaning and filtering to be resold as a cheaper alternative to normal cooking oil. The sources of this oil are restaurant fryers, sewers and leftover or used oil that is sold by restaurants. A newer version of gutter oil uses discarded animal parts, animal fat, internal organs, and expired or otherwise low quality meat which is then cooked in large vats in order to extract the oil.

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## phild01

That turning duck into lamb is a strange one.  I love duck.

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## FrodoOne

> We were using a perfectly safe insulated GU10 socket to test it out to compare it against a conventional Halogen, I put it in a few times, and one of the times I got electrocuted from it, I wasn't sure why only once I got zapped, but if you click on the link, it will explain why, after I got electrocuted I took the globe out and smashed it and threw it away telling my mate to NOT purchase any more of them.

  I do not wish to complain about your post apart from your misuse of the word "electrocute". 
This "portmanteau" word - combining Electric and Execute - almost certainly was invented by Thomas Edison in his battle to denigrate AC distribution by Westinghouse et al. 
If you were really "electrocuted" you would not be around to write your eloquent piece - you would be dead. 
I am sure the experience was painful for you BUT what you received was an electric shock, NOT electrocution!

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## BRADFORD

> I remain convinced that if RCDs are installed at every house then the death would not have happened. I also think there is a need from either standard australia and governement to educate the public how to differentiate between a safe appliance and a non safe one. And it can't be purely based on price.

  Having RCD's installed does provide a huge improvement in electrical safety, but it does not guarantee that you can't be electrocuted.

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## justonething

> Having RCD's installed does provide a huge improvement in electrical safety, but it does not guarantee that you can't be electrocuted.

   Agree, Still she would have been saved.

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## METRIX

> I do not wish to complain about your post apart from your misuse of the word "electrocute". 
> This "portmanteau" word - combining Electric and Execute - almost certainly was invented by Thomas Edison in his battle to denigrate AC distribution by Westinghouse et al. 
> If you were really "electrocuted" you would not be around to write your eloquent piece - you would be dead. 
> I am sure the experience was painful for you BUT what you received was an electric shock, NOT electrocution!

  Yes, this has already been pointed out by Belair_Boy as below, thanks for your concern,  :Biggrin:  
Gee Metrix, you are doing well for a dead person.  :Biggrin: 
To be electrocuted is to be killed from an electric shock. as you are not dead you only received an electric shock (non fatal).
Pedantic I know but after years in the electrical testing field it I am compelled to make the distinction.

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## Marc

You worry about non compliant electrical goods? Do you know what we import for food how it was made and what it contains? 
Rules and regulations and enforcement is expensive and governments are unwilling to do anything about it. 
I used to export honey to germany and had to comply with their very strict regulations Particularly in relation to HMF, a nasty chemical that develops in honey when it is subject to temperature.
When I came to Australia, I made some enquiries to do some exporting and my question about HMF was met with "HM what?" Even today this food contamination is completely ignored.

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## phild01

I understand we have about the best disease free bees in the world.

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## Marc

> I do not wish to complain about your post apart from your misuse of the word "electrocute". 
> This "portmanteau" word - combining Electric and Execute - almost certainly was invented by Thomas Edison in his battle to denigrate AC distribution by Westinghouse et al. 
> If you were really "electrocuted" you would not be around to write your eloquent piece - you would be dead. 
> I am sure the experience was painful for you BUT what you received was an electric shock, NOT electrocution!

  Despite what Wikipedia likes to say, electrocution is used extensively to refer to non fatal electric shock. *electrocute*Line breaks: elec¦tro|cutePronunciation: /ɪˈlɛktrəkjuːt 
/ *VERB*[WITH OBJECT]Injure or kill (someone) by electric shock

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## Marc

I wish you were right.
We do not have Varroa ... yet. With government who do not give a toss about apiculture by ignorance or neglect, this is just a matter of time. We have just about all the other diseases and parasite you can think of to a point that bees population is in severe decline. The ignorant "conservationist" who clap in chorus at the claim of italian bees being an "invasion" and claiming the local stingless bees are oh so good, does not help. Stingless bees do very little and only subsist in hotter climates. Without european bees, our crops would be up the creek without a paddle and into the wind.
Oh yes, we also don't have african bees ... yet.

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## FrodoOne

""  

> Despite what Wikipedia likes to say, electrocution is used extensively to refer to non fatal electric shock. *electrocute*

  Common mis-usage does not make things correct.  (See Electrocute - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary) 
For example, "Decimate" means "Reduced by one tenth" but people use it as if it means "Almost annihilate". 
The Supermarkets have signs that say "Less than 15 items"  when it should be "Fewer than 15 items".  
(Less applies to Quantity - Fewer applies to Number.  e.g. One can have "Less water" or Fewer ice cubes" BUT one can not have "Fewer water" or "Less ice cubes"). 
I could go on but that is enough of a rant for today!

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## BRADFORD

[QUOTE=FrodoOne;941589]""  Common mis-usage does not make things correct. 
Couldn't agree more.  If electrocute means injury by electricity, does execute mean just a little bit dead?
The word has a meaning, using it incorrectly does not change the meaning.

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## phild01

> "" 
> Common mis-usage does not make things correct.  (See Electrocute - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary) 
> For example, "Decimate" means "Reduced by one tenth" but people use it as if it means "Almost annihilate". 
> The Supermarkets have signs that say "Less than 15 items"  when it should be "Fewer than 15 items".  
> (Less applies to Quantity - Fewer applies to Number.  e.g. One can have "Less water" or Fewer ice cubes" BUT one can not have "Fewer water" or "Less ice cubes"). 
> I could go on but that is enough of a rant for today!

  No,go on and keep it up.  I myself love being picked up for in-corrections, seriously.  The world of bad speech is ever-increasing.   I knew about decimate but not the 'less and fewer' thing. :brava:

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## Bros

I think we are getting way of track here

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