Food ban urged for Chinese imports

The Bush administration should consider banning food imports from China if the Food and Drug Administration cannot ensure their safety, several members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee told the agency this week.

A letter to the FDA from four Democrats cataloged recent problems with Chinese food imports and asked for information on the issue for the last six years.

They added that if the agency cannot ensure the imports' safety, the administration "should consider a complete ban of all food imports from China until such time that FDA can assure the American consumer of the safety of these imports."

The committee and its oversight and investigations subcommittee are investigating the adequacy of FDA efforts to protect the food supply and hope to hold a hearing in coming weeks.

The letter to FDA Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach was signed by Energy and Commerce Chairman John D. Dingell, Michigan Democrat; Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan, chairman of the oversight and investigations subcommittee; Rep. Charlie Melancon of Louisiana, the subcommittee's vice chairman; and committee member Mike Ross of Arkansas.

Tainted food from China is increasing as a problem, they said, citing as examples "mislabeled wheat flour contaminated with melamine, filthy juices and fruits, dried apples preserved with a carcinogen and mushrooms laced with illegal pesticides."

They particularly cited concerns about the safety of fish and seafood from China, such as catfish containing banned antibiotics.

Tainted pet food has caused at least 16 pet deaths and thousands of dog and cat illnesses, and the FDA last week warned consumers against using Chinese toothpaste after finding tubes contaminated with a poisonous chemical used in antifreeze and brake fluid.

If you read the article, you can see this is about people food and other items as well. Toothpaste made in China was mentioned on the news a few days ago. And to be fair, it’s not just China — many items made in other countries are of dubous safety. I’m not talking about Canada, Australia, the UK, for example, but in some countries, there is no quality control, there is nothing similar to the Food & Drug Administration. Regulation is absent or ignored with impunity. If you consume products made in these countries, you have no idea what could be in them. You are at great risk.

On a recent visit to China, a friend spotted this ad in a Beijing newspaper. He sent me the photo with a translation of the ad copy.

BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR AND JOIN CHINA’S NEW MONIED ELITE!

Yes, you can now join the millions of happy and prosperous Chinese citizens taking advantage of the growing numbers of American and Western multinational corporations “outsourcing” their production to the hard-working and industrious people of China. This outsourcing has now spread to their food supplies and ingestible items. Since these firms pay us for gross weight – and this new weight will be pretty gross – and the stupid American government only spot-checks imported items in these categories (they just got lucky on the anti-freeze thing), it has opened an entirely new opportunity which our beloved Chairman is offering to any Chinese citizen willing to do a little of what the foolish Americans call “grunt work.”

Installing one of these state-of-the-art food additive production facilities behind YOUR hovel is as simple as clipping the coupon below and sending it to the address shown. Your production plant will be shipped to you in 4 to 6 weeks. Supplies are limited so don’t fart around. ACT NOW!!

These silly Americans have an expression we have “borrowed” and modified to describe this new and exciting venture: “Don’t give me any s**t.”

Our motto will be “We won’t GIVE you any s**t. But we’ll SELL it to you fools at a really great price.”

AND LOOK FOR A NEW DROP-DEAD MONEY-MAKER COMING SOON. SOYLENT YELLOW PROMISES TO BE BIG!!

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