I work hard to make sure my family eats nutritious meals. I’ll bet you do too. But even if you’re a cook-from-scratch kind of parent, it will do your family no good if the ingredients you use have toxins in them.
That’s why it’s so important that we know the sources of the food we buy. Other countries may not be as strict as we are when it comes to making sure food is not contaminated. Some don’t even check. I was buying newly affordable tilapia weekly until I learned that in China, where most of the tilapia comes from these days, fish raised for exporting live in filthy water full of sewage. We haven’t eaten tilapia since.
Then there was the news that melamine was found in baby formula. Even Chinese babies had died from this, yet China allowed it to continue until the global press publicized it, creating an outcry around the world.
Now we learn that French organic farmers have discovered that the imported-from-China soymeal they’ve been feeding their poultry is contaminated with melamine. Testing on the poultry has not shown contamination, but since the testing of the soymeal showed up to 30 times the allowable level of melamine (why is any amount allowed?), you have to wonder.
So French citizens who bought organic poultry from organic farmers at extra expense, presumably because they don’t want to eat poultry raised on antibiotics and who knows what else, got poultry that ate contaminated soymeal. I would be pretty ticked if I were them, and it makes me wonder what’s getting through to our food supply here in the U.S.
But we don’t even know where much of our food comes from. We have a six-year old country-of-origin labeling law that our government has not enforced. In fact, the USDA believes labeling should be voluntary, having already decreed that it’s not worth the cost.
I want all the food I buy to be labeled, and I don’t mean with useless phrases like “Distributed in the USA.” Yes, we know it’s distributed in the USA (duh)….what we want to know is, where did it come from? If it’s from China, I’ll take a pass. Given their track record, I just don’t trust them.
I think we’d be very surprised (and ill) if we knew more details about a lot of our food! I was wondering why talapia wasn’t as costly… I’m not feeling so hungry anymore! 🙂
This is why I get my eggs from a lady I know who raises them on her acreage. And my beef from a farmer down the road who sells individual cows. That is some awful stuff you are posting about. We ate tilapia every day in Africa. But then, it was fresh from Lake Victoria. 🙂
Pam, sorry to put you off! It bugs me too, but we need to be aware, you know? If there’s enough outcry, maybe things will change.
Janet, it sounds like you’re on the right track. You’re doing some of the things we hope to do.
Thanks for stopping by, ladies 🙂
You spoke of melamine being in baby formula in China and them not doing anything about it until national media made a big deal about it… there is melamine in American baby formula also, just not in a high enough amount that it is a “problem” and should be removed. It is very sad! Not being able to breastfed for several reasons all five of my children were formula fed. How I wish I had researched with them as I am doing with the baby I am carrying now! This child will be raised on farm fresh goat milk if I am again unable to breastfeed! For more info go to http://www.mercola.com and sign up! You will learn alot about foods that you thought were healthy and safe…. good luck out there, it is a tough world to raise healthy kids in anymore.
Wow, Katie, I had no idea! But I’m glad you shared that information, as moms need to know this.
What are we supposed to do to be sure our food is safe? “Eat locally” is beginning to make more and more sense, but that doesn’t help keep melamine out of formula, does it? Good luck with the goats’ milk if you can’t nurse your baby….thanks for commenting!
Pingback: No, Not Money-Laundering….Honey-Laundering