First, a tainted product emerges, killing some and sickening many more. Its origin is traced to China, where a combination of greed and negligence allow the danger to slip into the food chain. The government downplays or ignores the risks. When the problem becomes so big it can’t be denied, leadership orders inspections and promises to punish wrongdoers. The new vigilance leads to other risky products being identified, but officials suggest the problems aren’t systemic — just the work of a few bad eggs. The state tightens inspections on imports and finds a few tainted products from overseas, as if to say, “See, everyone has problems with food safety.”