Posted on 05/20/2007 4:55:44 AM PDT by Flavius
WASHINGTON - Dried apples preserved with a cancer-causing chemical. Frozen catfish laden with banned antibiotics. Scallops and sardines coated with putrefying bacteria. Mushrooms laced with illegal pesticides.
These were among the 107 food imports from China the Food and Drug Administration detained at U.S. ports just last month, agency documents reveal, along with more than 1,000 shipments of tainted Chinese dietary supplements, toxic Chinese cosmetics and counterfeit Chinese medicines.
For years, U.S. inspection records show, China has flooded the United States with foods unfit for human consumption. And for years, FDA inspectors have simply returned to Chinese importers the small portion of those products they caught - many of which turned up at U.S. borders again, making a second or third attempt at entry.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
>>>>I can tell you that the lettuce and other foodstuffs coming from Mexico are laced with as many as eleven different pesticides banned in the US.
And they use dark soil.
Gees, the country is overrun with illegal immigrants and illegal food imports.....just what IS the federal government doing about any of this? NOTHING worth while!
This thread was started for growing your own tobacco; but we hijacked it into a garden thread. :)
Growing my own tobacco -I’ve had it with these prices! (A journal)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1427384/posts
I can’t remember if you or victorygal gave me this site, but it lets you search by state.
http://www.eatwild.com/products/louisiana.html
I gave you the local farmer’s market links. I am bookmarking this one. I didn’t have it.
In the past there have been times when farmers were paid not to farm a portion of their acreage but that was in the ancient past. Some commodities are supported because of the unfair competition and TO PRESEVE THE CAPABILITY OF FEEDING OURSELVES. I've often pointed out that it is a matter of national security. When we lose the capability of feeding ourselves, they won't need bombs to kill us.
I suspect that a man could be elected to President running on these issues. To me they are HOT issues that have me torked!
So very obvious and true. Why can’t everyone see that?
There are farmers being paid to not grow corn right now.
Due to P.C. concerns and plain old corporate greed (sanctioned by both parties), we Americans can no longer conduct our own affairs much less those of the "Wonderful" country of China.
John Copes corn can be found on www.amazon.com It is sooo good.
Indeed. But the point is that there are everyday dangers which will kill you every bit as much dead which come from any country of origin, including good ol' USA.
Your point above is well made, but would you mind if I adapted it a bit?
'..deliberately adulterating the feedstock with industrial chemicals in order to improve crunchiness, prolong "freshness", enhance color, ...'
I mean, is there really anything more artificial and unhealthy than Cheetos and a Coke?!?! ;-P
Again, your point is well taken, but maybe expatguy can shed light on their motivations....but I suspect that it wasn't a chinese communist "kill the whitey capitalist" type motivation as much as it was likely a "(shrug) sure put it in if it makes it more profitable---if they complain we'll worry about it" or a "who knows if the USDA has banned this stuff, besides, there's more grease going into our product from the machinery than we're putting in melamine" type attitude.
As with electronic and appliance products in Asia, food is likely the same way, "The customer is the final test!"
Hey thanks for the kind compliments!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDoO_TcpysE
Duncan Hunter on China
It just sounds like, to me, the ________ you are describing is the natural result of a bunch of conflicted government bureaucracies handling something that individuals used to do for themselves.
Does anyone out there understand how absurd our food safety laws in the face of this? I know how many safety and marketing regulations are put on American farmers. I know how much it costs them. How can anyone justify this system? They demand safe food from American farmers and then turn around and buy unsafe food from China because it is cheap and unregulated.
Even with the cheap Chinese additives it is just for short term profit. How much net profit is the company that put the tainted gluten in the pet food going to realise?
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