Posted on 12/08/2007 5:13:53 AM PST by JACKRUSSELL
While it may seem as American as apple pie, much of the apple juice filling those juice boxes and jugs on U.S. grocery shelves comes from China.
Over the past 10 years, China, which produces up to 65 percent of the world's apples, has become the top supplier of concentrate used in apple juice sold in the U.S., contributing more than 40 percent of the juice consumed here, compared with 22 percent from domestically produced apples, according to the U.S. Apple Association trade group......
......As a matter of fact, American consumers, especially those with young children, have been drinking juice from Chinese concentrate for years.
The amount of apple juice concentrate pouring in from China skyrocketed from only 4.5 million gallons in 1996 to 249.54 million gallons in 2005 55 times as much according to figures from the Apple Association. Last year, the U.S. imported 225.54 million gallons from that country.
The juice is most often shipped to the U.S. as concentrate, with water and packaging added here......
......Many store brands use apple juice concentrate from China, as do well-known names such as Motts, Tree Top, Welch's and Tropicana......
......But, for example, the printed labels on bottles of Tree Top apple juice, marketed by Tree Top Inc., in Selah, Wash., boasts of "fruit we've grown ourselves," and "sharing the pure taste of our Washington orchards."
In less-obvious type, on the plastic bottle, is the phrase "Conc from USA China."......
......Likewise, apple juice labels from Motts LLP, part of Plano-based Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages, speak of "our apples" that are "hand-picked ... putting little between the orchards and you, the way you trust us to."
A careful observer might also see "Conc. From USA, China and Argentina" stamped on the side of the plastic bottle......
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
Children can grow up without apple juice. Save your money vy not buying this sugary import, and have your children eat apples grown in the USA. We still have plenty of those, and it’s much better for their teeth.
I contacted MOTT’S about 3 months ago and asked if they are useing apples from China. Their response was that they use apple concentrate from China only when US apples are unavailable to them. Yea...right.
I wonder how much lead the Chinese stick in their apple juice?
Is there nothing from China that is not contaminated ?
Lead? What about Alar? That stuff is like plutonium maybe worse!
Could 60 Minutes and Meryl Streep be wrong?
Yale Bulletin and Calendar
http://www.yale.edu/opa/v31.n17/story3.html
In the late 1980s, Streep formed the environmental and consumer advocacy group Mothers and Others for Pesticide Limits, which brought national attention to the health risks to children of the pesticide Alar, then commonly used on U.S.-grown apples and other fruit. Streep spoke out about the dangers of the controversial pesticide on a “60 Minutes” program and before the U.S. Congress.
At the time, her own children “were guzzling apple juice,” and she had concluded from studies she read that Alar, when heated, “turns into something akin to rocket fuel,” she said. In Connecticut, where Streep lives, there were then few outlets to buy organic food, she noted.
The Chinese flooding of the American honey market is just as significant as that of the apple industry. Unless your honey jar specifically states that it is a product of the USA, you’re getting Chinese or Argentinian products. Last estimates I heard were 40% or more and they were exporting contaminated honey going back to the second reign of krinton.
Buy American ag products - if not for your nations sake, then for your own health and safety.
Given their careful stewardship of the environment....no.
That is easier said than done when we don’t know what comes from China.
Apparently apple juice concentrate, so far. The article tells us how much comes from China, not that any has been found to be contaminated.
That certainly makes me feel better. I prefer my apple juice accompanied by real apples.
As a disclaimer, I am NOT an organic-only zealot or a health food nut. I am simply a small ag producer and I believe that the more secure our nation is in it’s vital necessities, the stronger we all will be. I do not like to be at the mercy of anyone - especially government (foreign or domestic).
Before all of this I have been considering getting back to basics for several reasons. How would you tell where the flour and sugar come from though?
I don’t know where you are, but here in the Twin Cities, we have local staple processors at hand. Our primary sugar manufacturer is just west of the metro (Crystal) and we have several mills producing flour. I would call your major brand suppliers and find out. If possible, source directly from the processor - I used to work in a flour mill and people would come and purchase small quantities. Lastly, a move to more basic cooking might induce you to mill your own flour (we do this to a large degree) and switch your sugar consumption to alternatives. As a beekeeper, the choice of our switch was obviously honey, but many other sweeteners are out on the market. Co-ops stock a good range of syrups and substitutes. As a bonus, most of them (co-ops) bend over backward to establish the product history and manufacturing information on their stock.
It ain’t easy, but bucking the system never is.
THanks for the ping Jack.
BOYCOTT CHINA!!!!!!!
Oh, and I'm trying to get off the diet cokes. That alone is proving to be quiet a challenge.
The same holds true for those within driving distance of the coast. I would much rather purchase my seafood from locals than try my luck with chainstore imports. Once you establish a buying relationship with a small time seafood processor, you can get just about anything you want at a reasonable price.
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