U.S. proposal to allow chicken imports from China raises health concerns

International Herald Tribune ^ | May 9, 2007 | Diedtra Henderson

[anonsquared]

WASHINGTON: In China, some farmers try to maximize the output from their small plots by flooding produce with unapproved pesticides, pumping livestock with antibiotics banned in other countries and using human feces as fertilizer to increase soil productivity.

But the questionable practices do not end there: Chicken pens are frequently suspended over ponds where seafood is raised, recycling chicken waste as a food source for seafood, according to a leading food safety expert who served as adviser to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Suspect Chinese agricultural practices could soon affect consumers in the United States. Government authorities are working on a proposal to allow chickens raised, slaughtered, and cooked in China to be sold in the United States, and under current regulations, store labels do not have to indicate the origin of the poultry.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, China's top agricultural export goal is opening the U.S. market to its cooked chickens.

[rickdylan]

This one has just gone critical. What’s it gonna take to get
country of origin labeling on food items?

[VictoryGal]

> This one has just gone critical. What’s it gonna take to get
country of origin labeling on food items?

Throw out every damn Congresslug who is in the ChiCom’s pocket. Then, with the few dozen legislators left, get the right things done.

Ah, I can dream, can I not? :-)

[television is just wrong]

we need to fill congressional seats like jury duty and only pay a compensatory salary. these guys think they are gods. and it is just sick what is happening to us.

[Paperdoll]

INGEST NOTHING FROM CHINA.

[napscoordinator]

I can’t imagine why the Bush administration would touch this with a ten foot pole at the present time. Good grief.

I did this search and found this thread. The reason of the interest is that I just heard on the news that President Bush is going to veto the agriculture bill if we do not start excepting chicken from China. What on Earth is the reason??? I have know idea!!!

[Cicero]

I can only guess that some big donor wants the US to import chickens from China.

Clinton and Bush are on exactly the same page when it comes to trade with China, I’m sorry to say. On most other things they are as different as night and day, but both are captive to the big donors who profit from the China trade.

It could be financial institutions or grocery chains as well as chicken importers, who knows?

[mysterio]

But it would make the chicken ten cents cheaper. And that’s all that matters.