Chicken processed in China could be on your plate

Minnie2361
Minnie2361 Posts: 281 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Chicken Processed in China
an excerpt

Here are just a few of the reasons that China has a reputation of the one of the “world’s worst food safety offenders:” avian flu; meat from foxes, rats and minks repackaged as mutton; a 2008 scandal in which milk formula was “supplemented” with melamine; pigs given plentiful amounts of antibiotics; thousands of pigs and, more recently, hundreds of thousands of dead fish found floating in rivers.

We have reason to wonder about the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s just announced (the Friday before Labor Day) decision to allow four Chinese chicken processors to start shipping a limited amount of meat to the United States.

The announcement ends a ban on importing Chinese chicken products to the United States and raises more than a few questions about food imports and food safety.

Initially, the poultry from the Chinese companies will only be from chickens that were raised and slaughtered in the United States and Canada, or from whatever countries are allowed to export slaughtered poultry to the United States. After being exported to China to be ”heat-treated/cooked,” these chickens are shipped back to the United States and then, after traveling back and forth across the Pacific, turned into any manner of chicken products.

As part of a trade deal that is being closely watched by the U.S. beef and pork industry (who are eager to export their products to the very large, hungry-for-meat market in China — American beef has been banned in China since 2003 due to fears of mad cow disease), the U.S.D.A. audited Chinese processing plants and has, evidently, decided they pass its approval. As a result, the Chinese facilities will be able to verify that they received poultry from plants in the United States and Canada. Accordingly, no U.S.D.A. officials will be inspecting China’s processing plants.


Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/chicken-from-china-could-soon-be-on-your-plate.html#ixzz2ebxOkv6b

Replies

  • Minnie2361
    Minnie2361 Posts: 281 Member
    I thought I would bump this, the idea of chicken from China is so scary that I needs to wash my undies.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    K. /shrug
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    I thought I would bump this, the idea of chicken from China is so scary that I needs to wash my undies.

    What the...
  • BIRD0
    BIRD0 Posts: 74 Member
    Chickity China the Chinese chicken you have a drumstick and your brain stops tickin'...
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    tumblr_m4kv9jKllE1r2vl58o1_500.gif
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
    Yet another reason i dont eat meat
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    Well, chicken is the only meat I actually still eat, and that's a very limited amount.

    Something like this might push me to stop eating meat altogether and I'll just stick to eating fish, veg, fruit, ect.
  • lstrebler
    lstrebler Posts: 1
    So gross! It bothers me to no end, but it's had one effect: I'm more dedicated than ever to knowing where my food comes from and where it's been. There's no way I want to eat meat that's travelled around the world, been on and off transportation no one knows how many times, and been exposed to bacteria repeatedly throughout the process. Local food all the way!
  • MexicanOsmosis
    MexicanOsmosis Posts: 382 Member
    dhmo.jpg

    Seriously though...just don't eat chicken then if it bothers you so much.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    So gross! It bothers me to no end, but it's had one effect: I'm more dedicated than ever to knowing where my food comes from and where it's been. There's no way I want to eat meat that's travelled around the world, been on and off transportation no one knows how many times, and been exposed to bacteria repeatedly throughout the process. Local food all the way!

    It is moments like this that I'm forced to confront the fact that I am just too fat and enjoy food too much to really care if it comes from China or Japan or the farm on the next island over, as long as it ends up on my plate.

    tumblr_loji8cXqk51qikhz3o1_500.gif
  • snazzyjazzy21
    snazzyjazzy21 Posts: 1,298 Member
    Wait, so New Zealand sends their lamb to China and China sends their chicken to the US? It's like a game of magical meats!
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
    I think i will get meat from a place like Trader Joes where I believe i can trust.
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    Oh-noes-everybody-panic.gif
  • MexicanOsmosis
    MexicanOsmosis Posts: 382 Member
    Oh-noes-everybody-panic.gif

    +1 interwebs for you
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    Sweet jesus, the crazy is out tonight
  • Minnie2361
    Minnie2361 Posts: 281 Member
    March 14/2013
    An incident where 16,000 pigs were found floating down rivers in China recently has now been followed up by reports of more than 1,000 dead ducks floating in a separate river in the country.

    The shocking revelation of dead animals has shocked locals and made news around the globe.

    The new story about 1,000 dead ducks comes just a week after the story of 16,000 dead pigs being found in rivers near Shanghai.

    The 1,000 dead ducks were fished out of the Nanhe river in the Sichuan province, and authorities have reportedly gathered the carcasses in woven bags and are burying them underground. The burial technique is said to have been used to ensure that local residents and livestock are not put in danger by any viruses or infections from that may have been carried by the dead animals.

    The previous story of 16,000 pigs, stemmed from two rivers near Shanghai, and in that case, authorities spent huge resources on pulling the thousands of pig carcasses from the rivers.

    The cause of death in both the pigs and ducks cases remains a mystery. Authorities have moved to claim that drinking water remains safe in both regions where the mass of dead animals were found.



    Some rumors have pointed to the fact that the sale of pig products is a big business in the areas around Shanghai, and huge amounts of money are exchanged between businessmen on official and non-official levels.

    A recent crackdown on hog farms has been rumored to have scared some farmers, who have been dumping their diseased products en mass into local rivers, according to The Guardian newspaper.

    Here is a video news report into the 16,000 dead pigs and 1,000 dead ducks found in China rivers:
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    Meats imported from China will be subject to Customs and also require regular testing by the FDA for compliance.
  • Minnie2361
    Minnie2361 Posts: 281 Member
    Right, testing, well you know how that works they miss a batch , listeria has killed the kids and well that family was one of the unlucky ones that bought imported meat from China.

    You have not noticed this summer the recalls on produce due to health issues. The inspectors pick up on these problems after the fact. That is when a large number of people have come down ill or died as a result of eating the contaiminated products.


    Memories still too raw for Chinese parents to trust baby formula

    Despite efforts of authorities to improve food safety, especially that of milk powder, after string of scandals consumers remain wary
    Professor Wang Xichang , dean of the College of Food Science and Technology of Shanghai Ocean University, said public perceptions remained clouded by past dairy safety scandals. Last year infant formula made by a company based in Hunan was found to be contaminated with a carcinogen, and in April a trading firm in Suzhou that dealt in foreign formula was found to have mixed and sold expired milk powders.

    "People turn to foreign formulas because they don't have other choices and they feel helpless," Wang said, adding that it would take a few more years for the public to regain confidence in domestic brands.
    http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1273375/memories-milk-scandals-still-too-raw-chinese-parents-trust-formula
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    These are issues that can occur in the U.S. as well. And do you really think that Chinese meat wouldn't be held to a higher level of scrutiny considering their history of food issues?
  • shano25
    shano25 Posts: 233 Member
    Meat raised and processed in Canada has been the source of e.coli and listeria outbreaks here in Canada. When it comes to our food, dangers can happen anywhere. I do think though as consumers we should be making efforts to support our local farmers and producers though. Why have your chicken put on a plane or boat to come to you when it can come from just down the road?
  • conniedj
    conniedj Posts: 470 Member
    Anything processed in China should be scrutinized at a very high level, indeed! The level of pollution disallows for residents to eat fruits or veggies to be eaten without the skins being peeled off first. Contaminants from just processing will be higher. And why would anyone think: Raise chickens in USA, ship to china for processing, ship back for distro? How could this possibly be considered cost effective?? Blech.

    I buy local fresh whole chickens. Prettiest darn things you've ever seen (if raw meat can be pretty).
  • Minnie2361
    Minnie2361 Posts: 281 Member
    Anything processed in China should be scrutinized at a very high level, indeed! The level of pollution disallows for residents to eat fruits or veggies to be eaten without the skins being peeled off first. Contaminants from just processing will be higher. And why would anyone think: Raise chickens in USA, ship to china for processing, ship back for distro? How could this possibly be considered cost effective?? Blech.

    I buy local fresh whole chickens. Prettiest darn things you've ever seen (if raw meat can be pretty).

    I agree , what is made in China should stay in China.
  • tilmoph
    tilmoph Posts: 72 Member
    So, if I'm reading this right, the chicken is raised in the on a farm in the US, gets killed and slaughter in the US, then gets shipped across the biggest ocean in the world to get some finishing touch processing, before being shipped back and vetted in the US.

    ...What is the point of this? Are you actually saving enough money on that one step to balance out the cost of two separate trans-pacific runs? Why not just do the processing in the US or Canada to start with?
  • JeninBelgium
    JeninBelgium Posts: 804 Member
    my husband is in shipping and for years worked in Asia for a very large container shipping company (we are now in Europe) most of the chicken that was shipped to the Americas and Europe came from Thailand and/or Indonesia (this is not to say that China does not do most of this today)

    anyway, the chicken breasts that so many like to buy in those large flash frozen packages? are put into barrels of salted water (tenderizes, flavors, preserves and swells them up)- the barrels have a structure in them with pins (helps to inject the water in) they barrels are then shipped off while in a reefer container (cold storage) and sent to their packaging destination.

    Something to think about - especially if watching your sodium- next time you grab a package of frozen chicken filets/cutlets/tenders whatever- check the ingredients- I bet some type of sodium solution is listed

    Now, why is chicken processes abroad.? because most of us want inexpensive food but do not want to raise and slaughter the chickens ourselves.

    the even stranger thing to me is that a large percentage (most) of apple juice sold on the US market (and perhaps Europe, I do not know) is from US grown apples which are then shipped to China for processing into apple juice, shipped back pure or in a concentrate and then reconstituted in the US - weird - what kind of a world economydo we live in where it is cheaper to ship the apples across the world and back for processing rather than paying local workers to do it (and perhpas thus a few pennies more on the apple juice)
  • JeninBelgium
    JeninBelgium Posts: 804 Member
    I think i will get meat from a place like Trader Joes where I believe i can trust.

    I love trader joe's but you must know that they are part of the Aldi (Nord) group- aldi is a discount chain of supermarkets with worldwide connections thus you cannot be more sure of the products there than anywhere else- why not try your local farmer? or farmer's market.

    Someone here mentioned that food born infections can occur with food from any location - this is very true. I prefer to by my products locally, when possible, to 1) not have the intercontinental travel footprint 2) support the local farmer and local economy and 3) to keep the processing chain as short as possible.
  • JeninBelgium
    JeninBelgium Posts: 804 Member
    Chickity China the Chinese chicken you have a drumstick and your brain stops tickin'...

    this is now stuck in my head of course.
  • JeninBelgium
    JeninBelgium Posts: 804 Member
    dhmo.jpg

    Seriously though...just don't eat chicken then if it bothers you so much.

    I think I love you... that DHMO is seriously dangerous stuff!
  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
    Gosh, I buy organic chicken from a local chicken farmer. Do you think those chickens are from China? Do you cook your chicken? Unless you eat it raw, you have little to worry about.
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
    I think i will get meat from a place like Trader Joes where I believe i can trust.

    I love trader joe's but you must know that they are part of the Aldi (Nord) group- aldi is a discount chain of supermarkets with worldwide connections thus you cannot be more sure of the products there than anywhere else- why not try your local farmer? or farmer's market.

    Someone here mentioned that food born infections can occur with food from any location - this is very true. I prefer to by my products locally, when possible, to 1) not have the intercontinental travel footprint 2) support the local farmer and local economy and 3) to keep the processing chain as short as possible.

    oh i didn't know they were part of aldis :) they still have really good food though,, amazingly, I used to order from a service called Peapod which seems to bring farmers market quality food to my door when i was not able to get to the store. Amazing what you find out :) Thank you.

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