In a cheese making class, I was told that in France the creameries would not buy your milk if they don't know you. Um...,this is one interesting French food philosophy.
Here in the U.S., there is no way we would know the people who supply our food. Bluntly put, we don't even know the food we buy. Or do we?
Something to ponder...
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Keep our family and friends safe from Chinese chicken
Dear Friend,
I just signed a petition asking Congress to keep the ban on imported chicken from China. In addition to ongoing problems with China's food safety standards and inspection system, U.S. inspectors have found filthy and unsanitary conditions in Chinese poultry processing facilities. Can you sign the petition to keep the ban on Chinese chicken?
Take action by going to:
http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/t/741/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1373
Thanks,
Sofia V.
I just signed a petition asking Congress to keep the ban on imported chicken from China. In addition to ongoing problems with China's food safety standards and inspection system, U.S. inspectors have found filthy and unsanitary conditions in Chinese poultry processing facilities. Can you sign the petition to keep the ban on Chinese chicken?
Take action by going to:
http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/t/741/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1373
Thanks,
Sofia V.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Tell Obama to say NO to Chinese chicken
June 2, 2009
I have recently learned that the ban of Chinese chicken may soon to be removed by the Obama administration. I recommend people to take action to express our concerns.
This action is introduced by Food and Water Watch; here is the website of the food section:
http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food
I have recently learned that the ban of Chinese chicken may soon to be removed by the Obama administration. I recommend people to take action to express our concerns.
This action is introduced by Food and Water Watch; here is the website of the food section:
http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Need transparency for food/drug safety
February 3, 2009
In the past several weeks, we have read a lot of news and development on Salmonella from tainted peanut butter (see the articles on the right side of this blog). Even President Obama said that “we (the administration) are going to be doing a complete review of FDA operations”.
It is clear that federal agencies, such as FDA, are often at the mercy of available federal funding and deregulation of each administration. If the FDA were consumers’ first line of defense (on food and drug safety), then what’s our second line of defense when federal funding is insufficient and/or the administration thought complete deregulation was better (like last eight years)?
The sourcing and outsourcing network among the food industry works very efficient. Salmonella virus from the tainted peanut butter in a Georgia processing plant traveled to uninformed consumers so fast that even the FDA could not act quickly enough to prevent some sickness and deaths. If the food/drug safety law requires certain transparency on the sourcing and outsourcing of food/drug industries, say through an updated website publication, then concerned consumers for their purchases would have a source of information to base on.
Of course, increasing the funds and manpower for FDA is important and welcomed because this is our first line of defense. Furthermore, we in this blog would like to see a law requiring food and drug companies to disclose the source of their ingredients (at least when inquired). A law like COOL (Country of Origin on meats and seafood) would be a great start. From there, consumers’ second line of defense on food/drug safety can begin to take shape.
In this downturn economy, such law on processed food and drugs will not increase the government’s fiscal budgets. And with more transparency to our food and drugs, it would in the long run help improving our general health and reducing the burden of our health care system.
In the past several weeks, we have read a lot of news and development on Salmonella from tainted peanut butter (see the articles on the right side of this blog). Even President Obama said that “we (the administration) are going to be doing a complete review of FDA operations”.
It is clear that federal agencies, such as FDA, are often at the mercy of available federal funding and deregulation of each administration. If the FDA were consumers’ first line of defense (on food and drug safety), then what’s our second line of defense when federal funding is insufficient and/or the administration thought complete deregulation was better (like last eight years)?
The sourcing and outsourcing network among the food industry works very efficient. Salmonella virus from the tainted peanut butter in a Georgia processing plant traveled to uninformed consumers so fast that even the FDA could not act quickly enough to prevent some sickness and deaths. If the food/drug safety law requires certain transparency on the sourcing and outsourcing of food/drug industries, say through an updated website publication, then concerned consumers for their purchases would have a source of information to base on.
Of course, increasing the funds and manpower for FDA is important and welcomed because this is our first line of defense. Furthermore, we in this blog would like to see a law requiring food and drug companies to disclose the source of their ingredients (at least when inquired). A law like COOL (Country of Origin on meats and seafood) would be a great start. From there, consumers’ second line of defense on food/drug safety can begin to take shape.
In this downturn economy, such law on processed food and drugs will not increase the government’s fiscal budgets. And with more transparency to our food and drugs, it would in the long run help improving our general health and reducing the burden of our health care system.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Let's hope for a better 2009 on food safety...
Happy New Year!
The economic situation has worsened and people’s available spending is getting less. I first thought, maybe this recession could make consumers spend less by reducing purchase of non-essential items. But, Claire’s taking of the current situation was the opposite. She thought people would buy the same amount of stuff, but much cheaper stuff and care even less of product safety.
Long after the stampedes to Wal-Mart, I slowly came to the sad reality that the majority of people seemed oblivious to the ingredients of food. I believe that is why most of the food manufacturers do not check the sources of their product ingredients.
When we look at the sales ranking among the retailers in the last quarter of 2008, the top one is still Wal-Mart which had in their bottled water, see the news link on the right, the highest concentration of chlorine byproducts, known as trihalomethanes.
As we start the new year, we would like to remind consumers to make wise choice on their purchase. Because, in many ways, consumers’ purchase money could be our last voting power over corporations.
The economic situation has worsened and people’s available spending is getting less. I first thought, maybe this recession could make consumers spend less by reducing purchase of non-essential items. But, Claire’s taking of the current situation was the opposite. She thought people would buy the same amount of stuff, but much cheaper stuff and care even less of product safety.
Long after the stampedes to Wal-Mart, I slowly came to the sad reality that the majority of people seemed oblivious to the ingredients of food. I believe that is why most of the food manufacturers do not check the sources of their product ingredients.
When we look at the sales ranking among the retailers in the last quarter of 2008, the top one is still Wal-Mart which had in their bottled water, see the news link on the right, the highest concentration of chlorine byproducts, known as trihalomethanes.
As we start the new year, we would like to remind consumers to make wise choice on their purchase. Because, in many ways, consumers’ purchase money could be our last voting power over corporations.
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