CHINA and FOOD QUALITY Issues - Things to know before you Buy or Eat

Salmon Filets

I received most of this information from a friend last week in an email and honestly, I hesitated to pass it on because I had not researched it all myself.

But, as I read through it again, I realized that I had read about over half of these myself from other sources.
So, I present it here for you to read and think about.
If any of it concerns you, it should be easy for you to check it on the web.


DID YOU KNOW that:

SMITHFIELD FARMS:  

Smithfield Farms, the largest pork producing farm in
the USA was sold recently to China with the  unanimous support of
its stockholders.  The hogs will still be raised here, but slaughtered
and packaged for sale there before being sent back here.
This includes labels: of Morrell, Eckrich, Krakus, Cudahy, Premium Hams,
Cook's, Gwaltney.



The same is true with chickens under these labels.
They can now be shipped there, but when they come back all that needs
to be on the label is that they… WERE RAISED IN THE USA.  Not that
they were processed in China.  Our great FDA at work.
The chickens under these labels will  all be processed and most sold to fast food
restaurants, schools and supermarkets.  The China slaughter and
processing requirements are, for the most part, unregulated and far
inferior to requirements of the U.S.A.

STARKIST TUNA: 

Starkist Tuna is now owned by a Korea company and is in a conflict with the U. S. concerning quality, safety, and records keeping, which Korea refuses to produce.

TILAPIA FISH:

A recent article that was defending the eating of Tilapia fish said to avoid the
fish that came from China.
Checking a recent purchase of Albertson's 4-day special of 4 bags of frozen tilapia for the price of one, showed that on the top of the bags it read "farm raised", and on the bottom, in small print, it said:" China.
Today, there are many functioning Tilapia Fish Farms in the US that grow their fish to US standards and the pricing is competitive.

GREEN GIANT:

Most Green Giant frozen vegetables are from China, and so are most of Europe’s Best.

GARLIC:

Never buy the grocery store garlic unless it is clearly marked from USA or Canada, the other stuff is grown in people’s… dung (even worse than chicken poop). China is the largest producer of garlic in the world; The USA is next.
You will probably find, like I often do, that much of the imported Garlic is very dry and sub-standard for the discerning Chef.

HONEY:

Purchase  only honey labeled as LOCAL, large quantities of honey are shipped in huge containers from China and re-packaged here.

MANDARIN ORANGES:

The "OUR FAMILY" brand of MANDARIN ORANGES states right on the can 'FROM CHINA'. For a few more cents you can purchase the LIBERTY brand. GOLD brand OR DOLE which are from California.

FROZEN FISH:

The brand HIGH LINER and most other frozen fish products sold in the US come from China or Indonesia. The package can even say "PACIFIC SALMON" but if you check the small print most come from fish farms in the Orient where there are few or often no regulations on what is fed to the fish.

A recent article in the Montreal Gazette by the Canadian Government described how Chinese feed the fish: Some Fish Farmers often suspend chicken wire crates over the fish ponds, and the fish feed on chicken dung.

 A search on the internet will reveal what the Chinese fish farms typically feed
their fish. You will see that growth hormones and expired antibiotics for humans are often used. This is why people should not buy any type of fish or shellfish that comes from: Vietnam, China or the Philippines.

COUNTRY of ORIGIN:

If the produce in a Supermarket is not clearly marked with its country of origin, ask the supermarket employees before you purchase. Over 60% of some common Vegetables and Fruits are grown in other countries and shipped to the US for sale. 
Be smart, for one thing, when you see a seasonal food available in their off-season in the US, it is almost always imported from another country unless it is marked s Greenhouse grown.

CHECK the Labels for YOURSELF:

Simply look on the bottom of every product you buy, and if it says 'Made in China' or 'PRC' (and that now includes Hong Kong), simply choose another product or none at all. You will be amazed at how dependent you are on Chinese products, and you will be equally amazed at what you can do without to protect your family's health.

Watch out for packages which state "prepared for," "packed by", "imported by" or "distributed by." We should all advocate for mandatory labeling, especially with produce.

WHAT CAN WE ALL DO?

READ the LABELS on Supermarket foods before you buy. Often, you can pay a few cents more for a brand grown and packaged in the US and know that it at least meets our own relatively stringent standards.

SHOP SMART and

READ THE LABELS!

by Don Bobbitt, 2014

Disclaimer: This information is presented to the reader as being true to the best of the Blog Owners  knowledge. I assume no responsibility for any errors that might be reported here and it is presented for the benefit of the reader to use for their own research and confirmation.