The American Food Supply - where's the outrage?

[Stinky The Clown]

You know, we import a shitload of food products. That melamine/gluten stew from China is just one tiny example. Read the ingredient labels on most anything. You'll be surprised at how much is grown outside our borders. It used to be that you could sorta/kinda tell imported food just by looking at the packaging. But no more.

And while we're increasing our imports, the Bushies have consistently underfunded the USDA. Did you know that less than 1% of our imported food is inspected?

Food grown in the country is not a lot safer. There are fewer inspectors inside the country too. Meat inspection is a joke. For all our farm bills and price supports and all the other agribusiness welfare funding just keeps the rich getting richer.

If a terrorist cell really wants to wreak havoc on us, it would be pretty easy. (And just cuz I'm speculating here, in writing, doesn't mean I'm giving any secrets away. People bent on doing us harm are probably way smarter than me.) They need only plant a few people in a few food processing plants - here or abroad - and intentionally sabotage food products. Done on either a big enough scale or on multiple products from multiple sources, and we have the makings of a national panic. Not all terror needs to kill in large numbers. Terror, by definition is the simple instilling of fear.

Why is no one outraged at an assault on a most basic supply chain - our food? The assault, in the form of a near-total abandonment of food safety inspections, is happening right now. Today. In fact, some of the funding is keeping fat cats fat and some of it is supporting this fucking war.

Where ... to quote Bill Bennett ... is the outrage?

[brokensymmetry]

1. Outrage fatigue?

You're right, the food situation is an outrage. But then - why
are we importing grain from China? Are we unable to grow it
here?

And there are a few other issues that have many of us rather
upset - I'll not list them here.

Find me a candidate who will address these issues, and I'll
gladly vote for them. But who is that candidate?

[Deja Q]

2. More and more makes things look like the ultimate tinfoilhat theory,

which still doesn't fit because we've allowed our farmers to sell their lands to housing developers.

[CountAllVotes]

3. Kucinich

He is into macrobiotics and is on to the whole food "thing".

KUCINICH '08

[Hart2008]

13. Gary Hart! Domestic security is more than military confrontations.

There is no better candidate on the issue of defending the homeland!

http://www.garyhartnews.com/hart
http://www.rungaryhart.com
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3193854

:kick: HART 2008! :kick:

[NYC]

4. Boycott.

If I don't know where it comes from, I won't eat it. If I don't like where it comes from, I won't eat it.

I've been writing to companies to find out sources. For instance, French's mustard gets their mustard seeds from Canada.

Keep asking. If they won't tell, don't buy.

[Stinky The Clown]

7. There are a number of products, like mustard, that won't grow just anywhere.

I think Canada is the world's largest producer (not certain this is a fact, but I think it is). I also am pretty sure there are only 4 or 5 countries that have the right conditions to grow it commercially.

I'm not inherently anti imported food. I am, however, wary of food that is processed in certain countries. Typically, this is food that is not culturally indiginous, but is only being produced because it is cheap. Simply by way of an absurd example, Parmigiano Reggiano can only be produced in one certain region of Italy. Similar cheese is made elsewhere now, as Italians emigrated to other places .... like the US, Canada, and Argentina. "Parmesan" from China, for example, would never find its way to my house.

[Critters2]

10. Yeah, I don't worry too much about food from Canada, or the EU,

though there are environmental reasons to buy as close to home (use less fuel in shipping, etc). But there are fewer and fewer nations whose products I trust.

[NYC]

11. France grows mustard.

Dijon mustard is grown in the Dijon region only. They control what their foods are called. That's helpful.

I'm not against imported foods if the countries have acceptable standards. China doesn't.

Thanks for the information re mustard. I had no idea it had limited growing areas. Interesting.

[veness]

5. k & r . . . n/t

[kimpossible]

6. People need to realize the dying pets are the canary in the coal mine

The poisoned wheat and rice gluten that's causing the pet food recalls would never have been noticed if thousands of cats and dogs hadn't gotten sick or died, due to their sensitive renal systems. This crap is in our food supply too, and we're only starting to find out the extent of it, because the freaking pet bloggers have had to take the lead on the investigation, over the clueless FDA!

I hope Congressman Peterson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, will follow up after last week's hearings.

He pointed to FDA’s inspection of an estimated 1 percent of food imports as a problem that could create serious animal and human health issues in the future.

“This is a recipe for major problems down the road,” said Peterson. “The recalls and quarantines we have seen in response to mislabeled, melamine-tainted products are minor to what we could see in the future if this problem is not addressed.”

http://www.petconnection.com/index.php
"Pet-food recall: We're here for you"

[YankeyMCC]

8. The Industrialization and Productization of food

has been one of the most dangerous (the most?) path human society has gone down in all our history.

[Critters2]

9. Just had a long conversation about this with my vet (longish)

I went to see my cat, who'll be hospitalized until at least Monday, after a fully blocked urethra. He'd been on the "appropriate" cat food for a year, and still blocked to the point of it being life-threatening.

So, the vet was telling me that they'd put him on a "stronger" version of the same kind of food--Hill's s/d, and I asked if we couldn't use something from a company that's more forthcoming about the manufacture of its products, maybe Wysong. Predictably, the vet knew about nothing but Hill's, and tried to assure me it's safe. I pointed out that even one of Hill's prescription foods was recalled, along with a bunch of their OTC foods. This means, I noted, that they're using ingredients imported from China. Obviously, this company does NOT keep a close eye on its suppliers and supply lines. All of this would be of concern even if the food had functioned as advertised. Add its failure to work to the mix, and I'd like to try something else. I don't like feeding my already weakened cat God-knows-what from God-knows-where.

The vet said he'd look into Wysong and other brands, and let me know Monday what he thinks. If he insists on using Hill's, he'll lose a client. Someone needs to be looking out for me and my pets. If it won't be the FDA, or the vet, it'll have to be me!!

[Eurobabe]

20. oh, your poor kitty, I went through that in 1993 with my

male tabby. We just got him to an emergency vet in time. I share your anger and outrage, there are so few food choices when a cat has this disease. Hope kitty gets better soon! :hi:

[pkz]

12. where will our food come from?

My husband and I grow our own vegetables but we need to purchase meat, and staples. We talked about this thread tonight and decided to read the labels even more vigorously.

But...remember the family farm? The farmer's markets? The great fields in Ohio and the midwest?

They are freakin' subdivisions now, the farms were all outsourced even before the factories.

This country is in an awful sad state now.

[Shallah Kali]

22. LocalHarvest.org - find local farmer's markets, CSAs, co-ops

http://www.localharvest.org

Also USDA listing of Farmer's Markets http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm

Do any of your local supermarkets and markets have a state food section? Mine does have a state fresh produce section and a section of one isle devoted to other local goods. It might be worth a try to ask your local stores to do the same if they don't already. Point out that people are worried about foreign products because of lower safety standards. Some are eating as much local food as possible as a way of reducing their contribution to global warming with movements such as the 100-Mile diet. Some are patriotic and would rather support the local economy.

[Robbien]

14. I am sick and tired of people asking where is the outrage

It says to me that that person is asking for other people to get up and take care of the situation for them.

If the situation outrages YOU, then YOU get up and do something. Why are you just sitting around whining that other people aren't doing something.

I can tell you some people are trying to do something. If you care, research it and join them in their efforts.

[Stinky The Clown]

15. Watch out, especially, for corn flakes ......

.... people have been known to piss in 'em ........

I'm just sayin' .........

[Honeycombe8]

16. I'm outraged. And scared.

I'm trying to change my eating habits (which I should do, anyway), and eat less processed foods.

But still, we had that spinach scare. And chicken scare. And there's mercury in the fish.

I will go to my grave convinced that the reason we're all seeing so much cancer these days comes from this buildup of all this crap we're consuming, and are exposed to. I don't buy that "oh, there's not more cancer...we're just diagnosing it better" story. Crap. Do you know ANYONE who doesn't know someone who has or has had cancer? 50 years ago, this was not the case, regardless of whether there was a diagnosis or not.

What can I eat that's safe? What, I ask? I can't think of a thing.

[CrispyQ]

26. Colon cancer

My husbands father & mother both had it. The doctor told my brother-in-law that he was prone to it since it "runs in the family." My husband pointed out to his brother that there was no colon cancer in the family prior to mom & dad. Three of his four grandparents lived to be in their 90's.

I don't have much confidence in the 'organic' label any more. And the price of organics is shocking. So I question if it's worth it. I did read an article that said you are better off eating lots of fruits & veggies, even if they are not organic, than not eating them at all. That was several years ago, of course.

Arghh!!! :banghead:

Time to head over to the gardening forum!!

[illinoisprogressive]

17. We have been steadily pounded with all the outrages of this administration and

there will be alot more horrors to come.

[Eurobabe]

18. I bought green beans the other night, and noticed they were grown in EGYPT

My first thought was, oh, I wonder what type of fertilizer they are using and where is it FROM?? This is in the EU! Sick!

I am seriously contemplating asking my hubby to help me make an above ground garden bed, and we'll start growing our own veggies. :wtf:

[Critters2]

21. Do you have Farmers Markets in Europe? nt

[Eurobabe]

24. Yes, but not so much out where I am

I'm in the country, so it would be better to have a garden. The beans were from a chain grocery store. Beans are not in season yet, soon!

[alfredo]

19. It's out there. My veterans group had a very spirited discussion

on this subject. When I told them about the FDA closing some food safety labs, they went ballistic.

[undergroundpanther]

23. I'm pissed

But also I am realizing unless there is a groundswell of outrage I will be one of the voices called paranoid.Unless people open their eyes ask questions and get pissed off themselves.If people get pissed near my area I'll come over and we can be pissed off together and if we join others who are pissed we can begin to make noise and soon make changes.
But for now I post what I think here..and I still get ridiculed. Some people tell me they don't see what I am putting out there as related. It is because either I am not articulating it all well enough for them ..Or it's not pre digested and spoon fed to them in easy short paragraphs designed for a ferret sized attention spans.. Or they would rather NOT know so they blast the messenger rather than consider I might be trying to make a point..


Others who read the same thread will get it and are disgusted or shocked or pissed off at it too.They get it even through my clumsy writing or poorly connected points ,and I hope their outrage spreads far and wide because if we do not alarm people and they do not feel outrage with this food situation ,and feel it personally enough for them to do anything about it as dangerous as it is ,things won't change.Because business is not about the publics quality of life it's all for profit and as long as profit is the motivator business will not change.

Please feel the rage and speak about it,on DU, on the web, call cspan, complain to your reps in washington, Say it anywhere and everywhere.And turn a deaf ear to the skeptics critics and people who are so afraid they attack you for trying in the ways you best can do,to make this world a little saner.

[ArmchairMeme]

25. We had it - now it's gone - good food

I am interested in this topic. I see it as a national security issue as well as the combination of circumstances that led to it becoming such an important issue.

I have seen farms sold to corporations where the use of manufacturing processes have been used for food. I don't think this works. Corporations have no vested interest in good food - safety can be lawyered away.

The multitude of manufactured ingredients sometimes makes food disgusting to eat.

I wonder where we as a country would be if corporations had not been granted personhood. What path would have worked. Could anyone else add to the idea?

I don't like the idea that Monsanto would capitalize on seed ownership and make seeds unable to reproduce - a disaster!

Pollution as a result of industrialization is causing problems with every aspect of the food chain, soil, water, air, sun.

Personally I make every effort to eat local when possible and to eat whole foods when possible. I prefer to cook at home. I want each meal to be a celebration of being alive.

Symmetry/Asymmetry

I once heard a man say to a woman - what your problem is - you see both sides of every issue.