Don’t read this column unless you truly want to know more about the food you eat. I’m not sure I did!
China’s less-than-stellar behavior as a food exporter is revealed in stomach-turning detail in FDA “refusal reports” filed by U.S. inspectors: Juices and fruits rejected as “filthy.” Prunes tinted with chemical dyes not approved for human consumption. Frozen breaded shrimp preserved with nitrofuran, an antibacterial that can cause cancer. Swordfish rejected as “poisonous.”In the first four months of 2007, FDA inspectors — who are able to check out less than 1 percent of regulated imports — refused 298 food shipments from China. By contrast, 56 shipments from Canada were rejected, even though Canada exports about $10 billion in FDA-regulated food and agricultural products to the United States — compared to about $2 billion from China.
While word is getting out about Chinese imports James Mann predicts our demise as China becomes the superpower. Kind of like the Japanese were going to be.
