You very well could be.
I picked up garlic in the grocery store and casually read the information on the package. It was garlic from China. Yes, I put it back. I have always feared food produced in China, even before the dog food and baby formula fiascoes.
Even more recently, the US had approved the importation of chicken from China. It will be in supermarkets soon if it is not already on the shelve. This scares me.
This article Don't Eat the Broccoli in China is frightening. It is frightening to think of a whole nation (China) that can be poisoned with arsenic-tainted food. It is even more frightening that our laws deem is okay to serve these same foods to our families. Granted, we may not be importing broccoli from China, yet.
From the People's Daily Online in 2010: (English version of Chinese newspaper)
"BEIJING - The nation has notched up a victory against the United States (my italics) after a World Trade Organization (WTO) panel ruled in China's favor in a dispute over the ban on imports of Chinese chicken, sources with the Commerce Ministry said on Wednesday."
Read the rest of the story in the Chinese newspaper in the link below.
Since when does the WTO get to force polluted poultry on the US? A Chinese "victory against the US"? That does not sound friendly at all.
Suddenly $8/lb for chicken does not sound too expensive!
Does anyone have any information on where this polluted chicken is sold. The very fact that China has the world's highest cancer rate and the most polluted soil concerns me. I won't give up chicken at this time, but I could eat less in order to afford safe chicken. My lot won't support hens for slaughter. Otherwise, I would be in the poultry business.
Your turn
How much does this concern you? Are you growing your own food for consumption to avoid danger as well as to reduce your food bills? What other concerns about your food from China are on your mind? So, you grow your own food. You are safe? How much of an obligation do you feel for the children who go to school with your children, grandchildren, your adult relatives, strangers on the street? Doesn't everyone deserve to know?
A lot of people don't care to know what's what. For me, I never buy chicken even when I know it's from around here. Meat scares me for so many reasons. No way would I buy food from China. I even hate buying free trade bananas because they're form another country. The U.S. is bad enough.
ReplyDeleteRJ,
ReplyDeleteI know; it's like if they don't hear it, they won't suffer! I really don't trust local big manufactures of chicken. We have Tyson and Golden Rod in this town. I try not to think about it. I wanted to buy wash cloths the other day. None were even from this hemisphere! Some were manufactured in countries we are fighting, so I bought no washcloths. I am sad to say that I eat bananas without guilt. You don't know it yet, but I love bananas! I never see a free trade banana.
Linda, I almost hate to tell you this, but... You've been eating arsenic in chicken for years.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonspectator.org/index.php/Blog/entry/pfizer-spends-top-dollar-to-prevent-ban-on-drug-it-no-longer-sells.html
http://digitaljournal.com/article/322558
I'm not sure whether it's been banned yet or not, and I don't have time to search right now. One interesting thing though, if it has/will be banned, there's no mention of not feeding it to egg layers. So is it in the eggs? And what about when they grind those old hens into chicken nuggets?
Oh NO! I knew there were things we did not want to eat in chickens, but do not rememver arsenic specifically.
DeleteAt least, my eggs are pure. My son would blow it off. My daughter would just be stressed and feel she had no choice. I cannot ship eggs to them.
At least, I don't eat chicken nuggets. If you do research it, maybe you can use all your work for a post, linking to mine and I will link back to yours. Now, to go read and see what you sent and see what I can find.
I know you feel comfortable eating your meat and eggs. Or, do you feed your hens commercial chicken food?
Thanks.
Arsinic has been banned in chicken feed in Canada for longer than I've known it was ever in chicken feed.
DeleteThe hens and turkeys both have large pens, with a good amount of forage possibilities. I collect the weeds in the garden in 5 gallon pails, and divide them between the birds. There's always lots of those. The chickens have a maggot feeder for extra protein.
As chicks and poults, the birds get commercial starter, along with grass and weeds. Once they're big enough to handle it, the chickens go straight to corn. It is, most likely GMO, unfortunately, but it's there for a back up. The turkeys go on duck grower, which has a higher protein ratio, and no antibiotics. I grow squash for winter feed for them, and I'm hoping I can harvest some sunflowers this year as well. I also have a little patch of wild bird seed planted. I'm not sure how that will turn out, or how much of it the wild birds will steal, lol.
Linda, I agree with Rubye as to how people don't care and American produced meat is just as disgusting. How do we eat meat from a factory farm without flinching or being utterly grossed out in the first places. If we can accept thst, then why not Chinese arsenic in chicken?
ReplyDeleteLooking at China is a good way to deflect from our domestic food production but we are no better as pointed out.
Go to your Mennonite friends who you bought Pepper from and order meat hens from them or through them. It's safer. But not eating it is safer still.
LindaM,
DeleteThe Mennonite feed the same arsenic-laden chicken food to their hens.
I don't believe American-produced meat is just as disgusting. I think it is safer but still polluted. At least, I choose to believe that. Right now, my hens are the only hens I trust. Their eggs are all I trust.
Yes, trust what you grow or know for a fact is up to standard. But it's up to you to believe whatever you want about American meat. Start by avoiding those bulging packages full of carbon monoxide to keep the meat a certain color. And then there is irradiation.
DeleteMy dad was a butcher as I grew up but he stopped eating it as did my mom about 7 years ago. For good reason. I Ammon my wy back to vegetarian eating but my family is not. I will still shop for them....by using herdshares and the Amish farms.
Are you sure about the Mennonites?
Yes we have garlic made in China here in Australia .
ReplyDeleteI do not eat any meat,but my eggs I get free range from my friend.
Lots of food here is made in China,frozen vegetables as well.
To eat organic here in Australia you need a lots of cash.
I grow a little,the rest I get from local people
I love some food from France(cheese)
I'm very picky about where our family's food comes from. I won't buy produce from outside the US. I only buy locally grown meat, so we just don't eat much meat, instead do a lot of beans and grains. We have a very small food budget, so I have to plan very carefully. I grow as much of our family's fruits and vegetables as I have the energy to maintain. We talk about bringing in chickens. But still haven't figured a way to keep them safe (coyotes and raccoons roam our neighborhood). Chicken from China, now that's sounding scary (didn't they have a bad breakout of Avian flu there in recent years?)
ReplyDelete