I received the following email from a trusted friend, Sol Sanders, who’s a longtime Asia correspondent. The information in the email is also consistent with what I’ve researched on the net. “USDA approves import of chicken processed in China despite safety concerns” has a list of Chinese food safety incidents which reads like a horror story.
I’ve long stopped buying any foods — produce, frozen seafood, canned — from China. After reading this email, I will also stop buying any foods, esp. seafood, imported from S.E. Asian countries like Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, and Indonesia because, as I had suspected, they’re probably disguised “made in China” foods all along.
Sol has an addendum to the email about nori – an edible seaweed: “Also there is a problem with nori now — Korean nori which is widely sold in Japan and sometimes marked ‘made in Japan’ when it arrives at Costco, for example, is badly contaminated with human waste!”
The email is below.
~Eowyn
I checked this out on Snopes “Tilapia from China” they say in the report most of it is true…
I purchased Tilapia from Walmart last week. I read the label and it was just as the article stated “packaged in Jacksonville, FL but processed in China. After reading it, I threw it in the garbage. At my sister-in-law’s suggestion, I took out of the garbage and took it back to Walmart. It had started to thaw before taking it back and inside the sealed (unopened) wrapper, there were little black particles that appeared to be feces. I took this e-mail with me and the customer service lady told me that she was familiar with it and as much as her kids liked Talapia, they don’t eat it anymore. I left the entire e-mail wit her because it doesn’t just address Talapia.
I read several articles on Google about this, and even one that was defending the eating of tilapia said to avoid the fish that came from China.
Also, I had just returned home from buying Publix & Albertson’s 4-day special of 4 bags of frozen tilapia for the price of one. Sure enough, on the top of the bags, it read “farm raised”, and on the bottom in small print it said, “China”. I recently saw a Food inspector on TV… He said he had lived overseas and he had seen the filthy conditions their foods are raised and processed in.
It is enough to make you throw up. Some foreign workers have to wear masks as they work in these places, because the food is so rotten and filthy, it makes them want to throw up.
Many of their Fish on Fish Farms are fed Raw sewage daily. He said he has seen so much filth throughout their food growing and processing that he would “never” eat any of it. They raise this filth , put some food coloring and some flavorings on it, then they ship it to the USA for YOU to consume and feed to YOUR families. They have no Food & Safety Inspectors. They ship it to you to buy and poison your families and friends. Imported food we eat and the junk we buy.
Green Giant frozen vegetables are from China , and so are most of Europe’s Best. Arctic Gardens are Okay. So is Birdseye.
Never buy the grocery store garlic unless it is clearly marked from USA or Canada,the other stuff is grown in people poop (even worse than chicken poop). China is the largest producer of garlic in the world; U.S. is next.
Buy only local honey, much honey is shipped in huge containers from China and re-packed here.
Cold-FX (a product derived from ginseng) is grown and packed in China and is full of fecal bacteria. Doesn’t work anyway, big scam.
If the country of origin is not clearly marked beware. If produce, ask an employee. Watch out for packages which state “prepared for”, “packed by” or “imported by”. I don’t understand the lack of mandatory labeling, especially the produce. The country of origin should be clearly shown on the item in the store. I go to the local farmers’ markets in season and keep a wary eye open the rest of the year.
For example, the “Our Family” brand of Mandarin oranges says right on the can “From China.” So for a few more cents, buy the Liberty, Gold, or Dole brands instead. They’re from California. And beware of Costco’s canned peaches and pears in a plastic jar — they’re from China.
All “High Liner” and most other frozen fish products come from China or Indonesia. The package may say “Pacific Salmon” on the front, but look for the small print. Most of these products come from fish farms in the Orient where there are no regulations on what is fed to these fish.
Recently The Montreal Gazette had an article by the Canadian Government on how Chinese feed the fish: They suspend chicken wire crates over the fish ponds, and the fish feed on chicken s–t. If you search the Internet about what the Chinese feed their fish, you’ll be alarmed; e.g., growth hormones, expired anti-biotics from humans. Never buy any type of fish or shellfish that comes from these countries: Vietnam, China, Philippines.
Check this out personally. I did. Steinfeld’s Pickles are made in India – just as bad!
Another example is in canned mushrooms. No-Name brand came from Indonesia. Also check those little fruit cups.They used to be made in Canada in the Niagara region until about 2 years ago. They are now packaged in China!
How is it possible to ship food from China cheaper than having it produced in the U.S. or Canada?
While the Chinese export inferior and even toxic products, dangerous toys, and goods to be sold in North American markets, the media wrings its hands! Yet, 70% of North Americans believe that the trading privileges afforded to the Chinese should be suspended!
Well, duh! Why do you need the government to suspend trading privileges?
SIMPLY DO IT 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
THINK ABOUT THIS: If 300 million North Americans refuse to buy just $20 each of Chinese goods, that’s a billion dollar trade imbalance resolved in our favor… fast! The downside? Some Canadian/American businesses will feel a temporary pinch from having foreign stockpiles of inventory.
Just one month of trading losses will hit the Chinese for 8% of their North American exports. Then they will at least have to ask themselves if the benefits of their arrogance and lawlessness are worth it.