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Increasing imports of ingredients underscore U.S. food supply vulnerability
International Herald Tribune ^ | April 23, 2007 | Julie Reed

Posted on 04/23/2007 7:51:19 PM PDT by anonsquared

The same food safety net that could not catch poisoned pet food ingredients from China has a much bigger hole.

Billions of dollars worth of foreign ingredients that Americans eat in everything from salad dressing to ice cream get a pass from overwhelmed inspectors, despite a rising tide of imports from countries with spotty records, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal trade and food data.

-snip-

Over the past five years, the AP found, U.S. food makers prospecting for bargains more than doubled their business with low-cost countries such as Mexico, China and India. Those nations also have the most shipments fail the limited number of checks the FDA makes.

(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: adulteration; china; chinaingredients; contamination; earthfreaks; enviroterrorism; food; foodsafety; foodsupply; fraud; gorebalism
Grow your own squared.
1 posted on 04/23/2007 7:51:21 PM PDT by anonsquared
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To: anonsquared
"Grow your own squared."

BINGO...

Eating the SAD (Standard American Diet) is a good way to introduce foreign substances, substandard ingredients, dangerously denatured fats, and a witch's brew of chemicals and additives that have unpronounceable names out to here >>>>

If what you put on your plate came out of a BOX, put it in the garbage immediately. Not only are we putting this stuff into ourselves, but we are feeding it to our kids. Isn't anybody else alarmed at this? I've had kids ask me what I had in my hand (a potato). Good grief. (/rant)

2 posted on 04/23/2007 8:00:55 PM PDT by redhead (Fishing in Alaska is like fishing in Heaven...)
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To: redhead

I’m still harvesting russets and yukon golds from last years crop. I thought I got them all out of the raised beds but now they’re showing up amongst the tomato plants, onions, asparagus, strawberries and artichokes!


3 posted on 04/23/2007 8:06:54 PM PDT by anonsquared
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To: Arizona Carolyn; mom4kittys; blam; Salamander; Red Badger; upchuck; WakeUpAndVote; dirtboy; ...

ping


4 posted on 04/23/2007 8:09:34 PM PDT by mom4kittys (If velvet could sing, it would sound like Josh Groban)
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To: All
these people will be popular

at least someone has pride in USA made product and is not trying to adjust their corporate bottom line to provide a new bonus for a stellar ceo performance


5 posted on 04/23/2007 8:11:43 PM PDT by Flavius ("Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum")
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To: Flavius

Believe me, I have always taken advantage of being within 15 miles of an Amish community.


6 posted on 04/23/2007 8:26:20 PM PDT by Shyla
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To: redhead

I was making mashed potatoes one day, you know boiling and mashing them, and the little girl next door is standing there watching me and asks what I’m doing. I told her I was making mashed potatoes. Then, in all seriousness, she asks, “ Why don’t you just make them the old fashioned way, in the microwave?”

I never before realized how hard it was to keep a straight face.


7 posted on 04/23/2007 8:38:41 PM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: anonsquared

I’ve been hearing reports like this for years. It’s just that nobody was doing anything about it. I guess now that peoples pets are being killed, it comes to the forefront. I wonder how many people have lost their lives from this sort of thing and it was (unknowingly) written off as something else?


8 posted on 04/23/2007 8:41:04 PM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: anonsquared

I really wish we had a longer growing season. Bring on global warming.


9 posted on 04/23/2007 8:41:58 PM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: metmom

Good point. I’d like to see the kidney failure stats for the last few years.


10 posted on 04/23/2007 8:45:09 PM PDT by anonsquared
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To: Flavius

I sure wish I had that close by. We used to live in Irvine California, back when the Irvine Ranch was still in full operation and we had the IRvine Farmers Market we could stop on the way home from work for fresh fruit and vegetables...


11 posted on 04/23/2007 8:56:47 PM PDT by Arizona Carolyn ( If you want on or off the pet and human food and drug ping list let me know)
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To: anonsquared

I work for a doctor in California, we have probably a half dozen patients in different stages of chronic or acute renal failure... the financial and age demographics certainly has some to do with it, he treats quite a few Medi-Cal as well as Medicare patients, but still for a GP I am suprised sometimes at the number of kidney as well as coronary patients.


12 posted on 04/23/2007 8:59:31 PM PDT by Arizona Carolyn ( If you want on or off the pet and human food and drug ping list let me know)
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To: mom4kittys

bump


13 posted on 04/24/2007 5:14:52 AM PDT by Dr. Scarpetta
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To: mom4kittys

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2007

Diminished Capacity: Can the FDA Assure the Safety and Security of the Nation’s Food Supply?
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Hearing
9:30 a.m. in room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building
Witness List
Connect to the Live Video Webcast (100 kbps)


14 posted on 04/24/2007 5:38:21 AM PDT by sweetiepiezer
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To: mom4kittys

Link:

http://energycommerce.house.gov/membios/schedule.shtml


15 posted on 04/24/2007 5:41:01 AM PDT by sweetiepiezer
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To: sweetiepiezer

BTTT!!!!!!!!

At 9:30 AM EST


16 posted on 04/24/2007 6:07:08 AM PDT by sweetiepiezer
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To: sweetiepiezer

Thank you for the link.


17 posted on 04/24/2007 6:52:27 AM PDT by mom4kittys (If velvet could sing, it would sound like Josh Groban)
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To: mom4kittys

Thanks for the ping. I would at least like to know where things come from and have the opportunity not to buy something that contains ingredients from certain countries (specifically China), so I just wrote the following to Steve Buyer, my congressman:

“In light of the recent pet food contamination that resulted in the poisoning and death of thousands of America’s pets with melamine-laced wheat and rice gluten products from China, I respectfully request that Congress REQUIRE ALL HUMAN AND PET FOOD MANUFACTURERS to LIST ALL OF THE COUNTRIES that contributed ingredients to any product (including vitamins, minerals, and nutritional supplements) sold in the United States ON THE PRODUCT”S LABEL.”


18 posted on 04/24/2007 8:28:45 AM PDT by JACKRUSSELL
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To: JACKRUSSELL

Great idea!


19 posted on 04/24/2007 8:48:06 AM PDT by mom4kittys (If velvet could sing, it would sound like Josh Groban)
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