[IP] Re: Chinese Poison Train: Ginger From China Laced With Illegal, Poisonous Pesticides - Consumerist

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Ethan Ackerman <eackerma@u.washington.edu>
Date: July 31, 2007 6:31:58 PM EDT
To: dave@farber.net
Subject: Re: [IP] Chinese Poison Train: Ginger From China Laced With  
Illegal, Poisonous Pesticides - Consumerist

Greetings Dave,

Maybe a better name would be "lax oversight poison train."
The Washington Post and USA Today have each done interesting articles
that seem timely in light of the continuing "food from China=tainted"
meme, rightly pointing out the problem isn't China or [insert
scapegoat country here] but rather an increasingly pervasive drive for
profit at any cost coupled with broken or bribe-able regulatory
authorities.  The WaPost blames it on longstanding racism, the USA
Today article just shares the statistics...

Some of the money quotes:

WaPo : " Food and Drug Administration records show that China isn't
even the leading source of contaminated imports to the United States.
India and Mexico have exceeded China in "refused food shipments" over
the past year"...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/13/ 
AR2007071301712.html

USA Today: "A 2003 FDA study found pesticide violations in 6.1% of
imported foods sampled vs. 2.4% of domestic foods. [...] the FDA found
salmonella and shigella, which can cause dysentery, in 4% of imported
fruits and vegetables vs. 1.1% of domestic products."

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2007-03-18-food-safety- 
usat_N.htm


-Ethan


On 7/31/07, David Farber <dave@farber.net> wrote:
> http://consumerist.com/consumer/chinese-poison-train/ginger-from- 
> china-laced-with-illegal-poisonous-pesticides-284452.php
>
>
> ________________________________

> Archives


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