Safe foods from China? It ain't gonna happen



On Sun, 20 May 2007 08:45:23 -0600, "Janet B." <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Sorry, we can't stop buying food stuffs from China as it will jeopardize the
>U.S. economy :eek:}}
>http://tinyurl.com/2rsx3w
>

What we need is for someone to write an informative book about it on
the level of "The Jungle" (or any other of the books aimed at the
general public- "Silent Spring," "Unsafe at Any Speed"), then get it
on Oprah.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!
 
"Janet B." <[email protected]> wrote:
> Sorry, we can't stop buying food stuffs from China as it will jeopardize the
> U.S. economy :eek:}}
> http://tinyurl.com/2rsx3w

You beat me to it! ;-)

Here's the same article from the horse's mouth (Washington Post):

http://tinyurl.com/2vdlm3
http://tinyurl.com/3d3ohw (related graphic)

One of the amazing things in the article is that food that is rejected is simply
turned back, only to have that very same shipment show up a second and sometimes
even a third time. You'd think they would seize and destroy it.

Bon Appetit! ;-)

In the somewhat related topic of country of origin labeling, I saw something
I've never seen before on a bag of frozen brussels sprouts. Country of Origin:
Belguim! I was expecting the normal Mexico, Guatemala, or other such country.
(Not that I've ever bought frozen brussels sprouts since the labeling regulation
came into effect.)

--
wff_ng_7 (at) verizon (dot) net
 
Janet B. wrote:
> Sorry, we can't stop buying food stuffs from China as it will jeopardize the
> U.S. economy :eek:}}
> http://tinyurl.com/2rsx3w
>
>
This may just drive me back to cooking--with unprocessed
ingredients, whose origins I know. BUT then what about those
Asian condiments? And my daughter likes eating out. In Asian
restaurants.

I have long wondered what it means when, for example, a
product from a third-world country (is that an archaic term?)
is packed in water. What if that water is polluted with
things that remain after processing? Ditto for "organic"
products from suspect countries....

--
Jean B.
 
"Jean B." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Janet B. wrote:
>> Sorry, we can't stop buying food stuffs from China as it will jeopardize
>> the U.S. economy :eek:}}
>> http://tinyurl.com/2rsx3w
> This may just drive me back to cooking--with unprocessed ingredients,
> whose origins I know. BUT then what about those Asian condiments? And my
> daughter likes eating out. In Asian restaurants.
>
> I have long wondered what it means when, for example, a product from a
> third-world country (is that an archaic term?) is packed in water. What
> if that water is polluted with things that remain after processing? Ditto
> for "organic" products from suspect countries....
>
> --
> Jean B.

What if it's packed in water which contains industrial pollutants? The
Chinese (and some morons in this country) say that a certain amount of
regulatory leeway must exist in order for a country to grow. So, it's nice
to have benzene and dioxin in your water?
 
On Sun, 20 May 2007 15:48:13 GMT, "wff_ng_7" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>One of the amazing things in the article is that food that is rejected is simply
>turned back, only to have that very same shipment show up a second and sometimes
>even a third time. You'd think they would seize and destroy it.

I thought they did too.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!
 
On Sun, 20 May 2007 15:37:29 GMT, Curly Sue wrote:

> On Sun, 20 May 2007 08:45:23 -0600, "Janet B." <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>>Sorry, we can't stop buying food stuffs from China as it will jeopardize the
>>U.S. economy :eek:}}
>>http://tinyurl.com/2rsx3w
>>
>
> What we need is for someone to write an informative book about it on
> the level of "The Jungle" (or any other of the books aimed at the
> general public- "Silent Spring," "Unsafe at Any Speed"), then get it
> on Oprah.

<snork> I have to admit, Oprah sells. It's about time she
stopped peddling this feel-good commercial **** and do something
useful.

How about Emeril or Martha?

-sw
 
In addition to being outraged, I have some questions. Is the unsafe or
tainted food ever eaten by the Chinese? Years ago, we used to hear
about the poor starving children in China. Now, why haven't we heard
about the poor children in China dying from tainted and adulterated
food? You'd think an outbreak of deaths or illness would make the
international news. Is it covered up? Or is the bad stuff reserved for
export?


--Lia
 
"flitterbit" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Janet B. wrote:
>> Sorry, we can't stop buying food stuffs from China as it will jeopardize
>> the U.S. economy :eek:}}
>> http://tinyurl.com/2rsx3w
> We're getting much the same story here in Canada:
>
> http://www.thestar.com/News/article/215857
>
> The whole situation has me so angry I could scream.

I would like to know who really benefits from this kind of policy. I know
farmers around here are hot to trade with China, but we're talking
relatively small amounts in the whole scheme of things. Is this just really
part of a package for BIG business in all aspects of trade? They get their
bucks and the populace beneath them are part of an acceptable risk?
Probably. I wish I were young again and believed that my government worked
FOR me.
Janet
 
On 2007-05-20, Julia Altshuler <[email protected]> wrote:

> about the poor starving children in China. Now, why haven't we heard
> about the poor children in China dying from tainted and adulterated
> food? You'd think an outbreak of deaths or illness would make the
> international news. Is it covered up?

Well, duh! It is still a communist country. You think they are going
to alert current and potential trade partners their own people are
dropping like flies on polluted foodstuff? C'mon....

nb
 
Julia Altshuler wrote:

> In addition to being outraged, I have some questions. Is the unsafe
> or tainted food ever eaten by the Chinese? Years ago, we used to
> hear about the poor starving children in China. Now, why haven't we
> heard about the poor children in China dying from tainted and
> adulterated food?

Perhaps because 1) That's not what official reports would say and 2)
investigative journalism isn't exactly encouraged.

You'd think an outbreak of deaths or illness would
> make the international news. Is it covered up? Or is the bad stuff
> reserved for export?
>
>
> --Lia



--
Dan Goodman
"You, each of you, have some special wild cards. Play with them.
Find out what makes you different and better. Because it is there,
if only you can find it." Vernor Vinge, _Rainbows End_
Journal http://dsgood.livejournal.com
Futures http://dangoodman.livejournal.com
Links http://del.icio.us/dsgood
 
notbob wrote:

> On 2007-05-20, Julia Altshuler <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > about the poor starving children in China. Now, why haven't we heard
> > about the poor children in China dying from tainted and adulterated
> > food? You'd think an outbreak of deaths or illness would make the
> > international news. Is it covered up?
>
> Well, duh! It is still a communist country. You think they are going
> to alert current and potential trade partners their own people are
> dropping like flies on polluted foodstuff? C'mon....



And besides being a communist country the Chinese still operate by the
axiom "life is cheap"...

In the "New China" the profit motive is *everything"...even it's to
the detriment of human life. Don't forget that it's still a country
that makes extensive use of slave labor...

--
Best
Greg
 
Curly Sue wrote:
> On Sun, 20 May 2007 15:48:13 GMT, "wff_ng_7" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>> One of the amazing things in the article is that food that is rejected is simply
>> turned back, only to have that very same shipment show up a second and sometimes
>> even a third time. You'd think they would seize and destroy it.
>
> I thought they did too.


You're thinking about shipments of diet soda containing "stevia" (a
natural non-nutritive sweetener that's used in Japan.) Since it is just
a plant extract that has been used for years, it's not patentable,
therefore it's a threat to the chemical sweetener industry. So the FDA
does seize and destroy stevia and anything containing it.

Stevia meets all the qualifications for GRAS status (generally regarded
as safe) but the FDA treats it like it was something really dangerous...
like maybe marijuana. :p

Bob
 
Julia Altshuler wrote:
> In addition to being outraged, I have some questions. Is the unsafe or
> tainted food ever eaten by the Chinese? Years ago, we used to hear
> about the poor starving children in China. Now, why haven't we heard
> about the poor children in China dying from tainted and adulterated
> food? You'd think an outbreak of deaths or illness would make the
> international news. Is it covered up? Or is the bad stuff reserved for
> export?
>
> --Lia



I think it's both.

Bob
 
On May 20, 1:50 pm, Julia Altshuler <[email protected]> wrote:
> In addition to being outraged, I have some questions. Is the unsafe or
> tainted food ever eaten by the Chinese?

Yes at least according to recent BBC or Deutchewelle program I heard.
Consumers there have the same problems.
John Kane, Kingston ON Canada
 
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
> "Jean B." <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Janet B. wrote:
>>> Sorry, we can't stop buying food stuffs from China as it will jeopardize
>>> the U.S. economy :eek:}}
>>> http://tinyurl.com/2rsx3w
>> This may just drive me back to cooking--with unprocessed ingredients,
>> whose origins I know. BUT then what about those Asian condiments? And my
>> daughter likes eating out. In Asian restaurants.
>>
>> I have long wondered what it means when, for example, a product from a
>> third-world country (is that an archaic term?) is packed in water. What
>> if that water is polluted with things that remain after processing? Ditto
>> for "organic" products from suspect countries....
>>
>> --
>> Jean B.
>
> What if it's packed in water which contains industrial pollutants? The
> Chinese (and some morons in this country) say that a certain amount of
> regulatory leeway must exist in order for a country to grow. So, it's nice
> to have benzene and dioxin in your water?
>
>
Yeah.......... That's what I've been thinking. I should have
consistently gone with my gut on this....

--
Jean B.
 
"Jean B." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
>> "Jean B." <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>> Janet B. wrote:
>>>> Sorry, we can't stop buying food stuffs from China as it will
>>>> jeopardize the U.S. economy :eek:}}
>>>> http://tinyurl.com/2rsx3w
>>> This may just drive me back to cooking--with unprocessed ingredients,
>>> whose origins I know. BUT then what about those Asian condiments? And
>>> my daughter likes eating out. In Asian restaurants.
>>>
>>> I have long wondered what it means when, for example, a product from a
>>> third-world country (is that an archaic term?) is packed in water. What
>>> if that water is polluted with things that remain after processing?
>>> Ditto for "organic" products from suspect countries....
>>>
>>> --
>>> Jean B.
>>
>> What if it's packed in water which contains industrial pollutants? The
>> Chinese (and some morons in this country) say that a certain amount of
>> regulatory leeway must exist in order for a country to grow. So, it's
>> nice to have benzene and dioxin in your water?
> Yeah.......... That's what I've been thinking. I should have
> consistently gone with my gut on this....
>
> --
> Jean B.

Organizations like Greenpeace have been publicizing the mess in China for at
least 20 years. Too bad nobody listens to them. Now, the problem is here.
 
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