“If they labelled food correctly we would have no problem letting the market decide that Chinese crap would gather an inch of dust on store shelves.”
All of the frozen brocolli comes from Mexico, I have noticed. Now, I’m not angry with Mexico, as I am with China, but I’m afraid to eat Mexican food. The brocolli always says that it’s from Mexico.
ANYWAY, I noticed that when there is just a little brocolli in a frozen product, the package might only say from USA.
So I conclude that they only have to tell us if it’s 100% from another country.
I understand that at least 50% of the garlic cloves, powder and othe r”garlic” products comes from China. I bought some garlic gloves a few months ago & when I got home I saw it was from China. Won’t buy anymore. We should demand truth in country of origin for all food. A lot of so-called “organic” produce is coming from China & other countries with NO checks or regulations. Just becuz something is “organic” doesn’t mean it is safe to eat. This is getting really bad. I have many cats, dogs, ferrets & chickens. I am caring for a freind’s two cats. I am scared everytime I feed my critters. I lost a beautiful Pyrenese in Feb...initial diagnosis was some type of poison. I lost 2 cats in April (cause-cancer & ?). All 3 young animals.
So I conclude that they only have to tell us if it’s 100% from another country.
Legally, manufacturers/processors of frozen or fresh veggies aren't required to tell you the country of origin until 2008.
So-called "country of origin labeling" (COOL) was passed as a provision of farm subsidy bill in 2002, but the implementation has been delayed twice by Executive order, due to manufacturers/processors objections about the cost/inconvenience of labeling. In 2006, the fresh fish and shellfish labeling went into effect, but mandatory labeling of "a perishable agricultural commodity" (which includes veggies) won't start until next year.
That said, some companies are getting ahead of the curve by labeling now. Our local supermarket's store brand has the COOL overstamped on the packages, whereas most of the national brands that I looked at don't.
Keep in mind that, according to the law, if the veggies are processed in any way -- as part of a creamed frozen product, for instance, in a TV dinner or pot pie, or cooked (cans) -- the country of origin doesn't have to be indicated.
Meats will also be covered by COOL in 2008 -- but only beef, lamb and pork muscle-cuts or ground -- not chicken. According to several news reports, China's leading export to the US is currently "poultry products," so if the frozen or previously frozen chicken you buy -- even if it's labeled "organic" -- doesn't indicate where it was raised, it could be from China, as could chicken meat incorporated into processed and frozen foods.
What could be better for you than US chicken fed on melamine-contaminated feed? Why, chicken raised in China, of course. /sarc