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.

[Calpernia]

From your link:

>>>American media reports have suggested the pet deaths might have been caused by melamine reacting with cyanuric acid, a similar chemical usually used to help keep swimming pools clean but which is permitted by the FDA as a feed additive in carefully limited amounts. <<<<

::blank stare::

[hinckley buzzard]

I've traveled the Chinese countryside.I've seen the filth.I've seen the filth in Chinese rice paddies

Figured that one out after listening to some Nam vets --told me about waiting out a firefight chin-deep in a rice paddie...for distraction they amused themselves by blowing a human turd back and forth between their faces.

[Lijahsbubbe]

The labels don’t say if an “ingredient” came from China.

So what can we do? This is really frustrating to say the least.

[Gabz]

I realize that, but it just so happened that I saw the headline and thought I would pass it along.

I have no doubt school will be delayed 2 hours because of fog in the morning, but I still need to call it a night, hubby’s alarm will be going off at 5 and daughter’s best friend will be arriving here around 7:15.......so I’m looking at about 5 hours sleep......zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Goodnight, I’ll hit this thread again in the morning, I’m sure it will get interesting.

[Gabz]

::blank stare::

Yup...........

[3D-JOY]

I just received a new warning from itchmo...are you aware of their warning to employees etc.?

[mom4kittys]

I wrote names down from the House Agriculture Committe hearing from cspan. It’s late for me, but I am going to post email addresses if I find them and ping everyone with the info tomorrow.

[mom4kittys]

uh oh—I’m afraid to ask?

[mom4kittys]

gross!

[3D-JOY]

New warning tonight about employee handling of test materials...have you seen it?

[Lijahsbubbe]

Thanks. Good work! Strange how we are hearing so much about this contamination lately.

[3D-JOY]

employees especially pregnant to be removed from testing areas etc.

Itchmo bulletin

[3D-JOY]

Itchmo warns that while they tell us it is safe...

The FDA has tonight warned their own employees, and ordered pregnant women to not consume or even work in test areas.

What do they know and when did they know it? LOL

[3D-JOY]

#73 was to you...sorry!

[BigIsleGal]

“Skretting Canada yesterday initiated a voluntary recall of all fish feeds related to a batch of the Bio-Oregon brand shipped to the U.S. and in which the FDA found melamine.”
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/05-09-2007/0004584767&EDATE=
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BIG(that’s me)says: Bio-Oregon, certified by the folks at “Oregon Tilth.” Oh , and by the way Bio-Oregon’s web site is under construction, at least it was earlier today (May 9th), coincidence? I think not.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Primarily an organization of organic farmers, gardeners and consumers, Tilth offers educational events throughout the state of Oregon, and provides organic certification services to organic growers, processors, and handlers internationally.”
http://www.tilth.org/Resources/directory/farmsupply.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BIG(that’s me)says: Check out their “certified” distributors, importers and exporters, plenty certified from China!!! IF they haven’t “cleaned” it up, like a lot of the pet food companies did right after the recalls..
http://www.tilth.org/Resources/directory/distributors.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Be Safe Not Sorry

[Ultra Sonic 007]

*blank stare*

Dude.

Seafood fed with chicken waste.

Chickens that are diseased.

Think about it.

[JACKRUSSELL]

We need to convince the FDA to require country of origin labeling!

I thought that was a good idea, too, but someone on another thread pointed out to me that country of origin labeling won't always work because some things are shipped to China for processing then shipped back here. I don't know how we can fix this problem unless we just ban all trade with China period, and I doubt that will happen anytime soon.

[JACKRUSSELL]

I have a friend that is going on a vacation to China this summer with her family. Her sister works for a large American company and was recently transferred there. I have been sending many articles on China to her. She just laughs and said that she talked to her sister about these issues after reading the information......her sister’s response was that “everyone knows to avoid the street vendors in China”.

[Old_Mil]

Again, why in the world would we import ANY sort of chicken products from China?? We produce ALL foods more efficiently than they do. Who is responsible for this ****??

Either we cannot produce chickens as efficiently as a bunch of peasants because of our standard of living, or the Chinese have dropped any pretense of concealing their brand of economic warfare and are actively dumping product at below cost. Take your pick.

[Old_Mil]

Geez, sure seems to be a lot of protectionists on this thread.

I've always been fond of my kidneys, and getting cancer has never really been a career goal.