Food From China

[Shave A Buck]

Has anyone noticed how much food purchased in a mainstream grocery store is coming from China now a days. I have a soon to be four year old who drinks juice by the tanker full when the milk tanker is out being re-filled. So many mainstream brands use concentrate from China in their juices. You have to look closely on the tiny print on the bottle neck.

Peaches, my wife purchased Dole chopped up peaches in a small plastic cup four pack...product of china. With South Carolina and Georiga right down the road, to anyone, compared to how far china is away from the USA, how is this cheaper. How can they grow, pick, truck to the plant, truck to the port, ship to the USA on a cargo vessel, drive to the distribution center, then drive to the store and it still costs only 1.99 a four pack.

Health concerns are the main reason here let alone the support for our own ecconomy at least on some level. Anyway, check the labels when you shop and in my opinion avoid foods from areas where sanitation, pollution, and water treatment can be a concern. Farm raised fish..now why did you have to get me started again!!

 

[rm71]

I'm with you on this one. We have the same situation here in Australia. I always check the labels. I refuse to buy any imported fruit or vegies! I try to support local farmers and I don't trust Chinese food standards. I hear they still use some chemicals and pesticides long banned in Australia and the US.

 

[k200817]

Cooperate America and our legislators are driving the nails into America's coffin.

 

[StillShaving]

I am with you on this one, after hearing all the stories of bad dog food and cardboard infused pot stickers from street vendors in china (though this was later disputed). I am all for free trade but given the lack of quality control and oversight I don't put much trust in the food. Buying a hammer made in China is one thing, but not something to eat until they prove themselves better.

 

[Mako72]

I'm with K200817. We are being sold on the "Global Economy". Means Suits make money and we get F... umm screwed?!....The global economy only protects the suits and the G-Dudes. An Yea, I'm a Libertarian with a hell of a Republican bent. If it was a global economy we would be able to get our wet shave supplies anywhere. Unfortunately global economy means rape the 1st worlders and try to sel the 3rd our old stuff at a fraction to push the agenda of the new stuff...

As a young dude, I think(38), we got to see we been sold a bill o goods... I think of all markets, we are prepared to revolt!!

Jay

 

[mretzloff]

I refuse to purchase any food made from China. I always check the labels. I have nothing against the Chinese, but I have heard way too many horror stories about people purchasing Chinese food. I try purchasing food grown in the US to support our economy.

 

[DE Shaver]

I am not a fan of produce from China as there have been a number of food scares (substantiated or not) related to Chinese food imports. It is one thing it use Chinese goods, it is another to ingest them.

 

[raisindot]

Are all of you who say you will only buy food grown or produced in the U.S. ready to give up:

Bananas, pineapples, coffee, sugar, chocolate, mangoes, nearly any fruit or vegetables that you buy in winter, nearly every kind of spice?

Almost none of these products are grown in the U.S. And no one can tell me that fruit picked and packed in Central America (or picked and picked on any American farm) is any more "safe" than a can of something packed in China.

Three hundred years ago, people traded a pound of gold for an ounce of imported Indonesian nutmeg. Today, you can get it a whole jar for a couple bucks. This is the benefit of the global economy.

Jeff in Boston

 

[C Reed]

So let me get this straight, you walked past the fresh in season peaches (most likely semi-locally produced) sitting loosely in your supermarkets produce section to buy some pre-chopped ones packed with preservatives and additives in plastic containers and your problem with this is the aforementioned pre-chopped peaches are flown in from china?

Pro-tip: the fresh fruit tastes better and is better for you.

 

[kadett]

Has anyone noticed how much food purchased in a mainstream grocery store is coming from China now a days. I have a soon to be four year old who drinks juice by the tanker full when the milk tanker is out being re-filled. So many mainstream brands use concentrate from China in their juices. You have to look closely on the tiny print on the bottle neck.

Peaches, my wife purchased Dole chopped up peaches in a small plastic cup four pack...product of china. With South Carolina and Georiga right down the road, to anyone, compared to how far china is away from the USA, how is this cheaper. How can they grow, pick, truck to the plant, truck to the port, ship to the USA on a cargo vessel, drive to the distribution center, then drive to the store and it still costs only 1.99 a four pack.

Health concerns are the main reason here let alone the support for our own ecconomy at least on some level. Anyway, check the labels when you shop and in my opinion avoid foods from areas where sanitation, pollution, and water treatment can be a concern. Farm raised fish..now why did you have to get me started again!!

I've noticed this too up here in Canada. I believe this whole trend in where our food is coming from is putting our entire food supply at risk. I'm reading the labels more carefully as I agree with you that foods sourced in China are risky for a whole variety of reasons from polluted water, chemical contaminants etc etc.
Besides which, I would prefer to support a farmer here in North America.

 

[Gray Wolf]

I delivered a load of horseradish roots to a condiment manufacturing facility in southern California. They had a big sign posted in their warehouse: "ACCEPT NO INGREDIENTS FROM CHINA"

 

[k200817]

Are all of you who say you will only buy food grown or produced in the U.S. ready to give up:

Bananas, pineapples, coffee, sugar, chocolate, mangoes, nearly any fruit or vegetables that you buy in winter, nearly every kind of spice?

Almost none of these products are grown in the U.S. And no one can tell me that fruit picked and packed in Central America (or picked and picked on any American farm) is any more "safe" than a can of something packed in China.

Three hundred years ago, people traded a pound of gold for an ounce of imported Indonesian nutmeg. Today, you can get it a whole jar for a couple bucks. This is the benefit of the global economy.

Jeff in Boston

A BIG FAT YES . Already gave it up. I support my local farms and farmers. You would be surprised how easy it is. And you would be surprised at the variety of locally grown foods. And if it's out of season in your area then canning comes to mind when in season

I can't say the same for other consumables and durable goods. But one step at a time is how we got to this sad state and one step at a time his how we're are going to fix it.

Trade is good but not when your livelihood and health are threatened. There needs to be a limit on trade.

 

[BCatl]

I'm still suspicious of this so-called free trade. It seems like we just transfer our environmental and labor problems over to another country. So they get to tear up their country like we did ours, and create the same messes we did!

Pretty soon, we'll have clouds of pollution coming over from China. I don't see China worrying too much about the environment (I could be wrong).

They cut corners everywhere and there is no way we can compete with that.

 

[BCatl]

OH, but the middleman is sure getting rich. Ahem.

 

[scottish steve]

For years now people in Britain and America have been going on and on about the death of manufacturing and how there's no more jobs left....and then at the weekend they go out and buy the cheapest DVD player or T-shirt they can find and don't give a damn about where its made. Its our own fault that China is now the 2nd largest economy in the world. I have to eat Chinese food at the moment and to be honest, most of it's good quality, fresh, healthy and cheap. You can get a decent large bottle of beer here for 65 cents, a more than acceptable bottle of brandy for three and a half dollars and a good, rice-based meal with lots of fresh vegetables in it, for around a buck fifty. That said, I've not eaten any canned goods for the reasons cited above. The sad truth is there's no such thing as free trade...we all end up paying for it in the end. And don't get me started on agricultural subsidies!

 

[Loric]

Farm raised fish..now why did you have to get me started again!!

I agree with you on the fruit and produce. However, evidence is that fish stocks in the oceans are at 1/3 or less what they were 100 years ago farm raised fish are a great alternative that does not deplete the oceans. That said, I'd much prefer local fish or at least fish from the USA. Capitalism has some weird consequences, though I'm not sure the alternative is any better.

 

[DavyRay]

gman,

It looks goofy because it is goofy. There is some funny business going on. The Chinese govt manipulates everything they can, including the currency, to subsidize their exports. Greedy retailers world-wide are looking to gut their home economies to make short-term profits.

The only defense that individuals can make is to participate in local economies deliberately. Buy local. Produce local. Sell local. Gardening is a good first step towards reducing your participation in this global economic cluster-****.

 

[rm71]

gman,

It looks goofy because it is goofy. There is some funny business going on. The Chinese govt manipulates everything they can, including the currency, to subsidize their exports. Greedy retailers world-wide are looking to gut their home economies to make short-term profits.

The only defense that individuals can make is to participate in local economies deliberately. Buy local. Produce local. Sell local. Gardening is a good first step towards reducing your participation in this global economic cluster-****.

Amen brother.

 

[raisindot]

There's nothing wrong and everything it good about buying local (it's a good thing) IF you can get things locally and it's grown year round.

Living here in Massachusetts, I have about three weeks a summer when I can get fresh strawberries. Certainly can't get fresh oranges, pineapples, bananas here. Grapes are out the question.

So what am I going to do, give up the fruits and other food I love out of season just because they're not grown here? I for one don't eat canned fruits or vegetables so I can boycott Chinese versions with no problem (I'll also boycott the American versions as well).

And I hope that everyone who is in favor of putting limits on trade is not one of those people of any party who is against government interference in people's lives. It's because of a lack of government controls and a longstanding laissex-faire attitude that tens of millions of jobs have been shipped overseas and that almost no companies in America produce anything other than huge bonuses for for bankers and hedge fund traders.

But let's also consider that with 10 million Americans out of work, it's unreasonable for people to be searching for the lowest-cost food out there. If that happens to be Chinese-made, that that's it. People have a right to take risks with their health. That's why cigarettes and liquor, two kinds of poison a million times more damaging than a can of processed Chinese peaches would ever be, are still legal.


Soapbox off.



Jeff in Boston

 

[Stubblefield]

I shop the farmer's market for my food, so it is a non-issue for me.