Is anyone concerned that contaminated and/or counterfeit food ingredients and drugs from China could make 9/11 type terrorism seem mild? Bad as the contaminated pet food ingredients from China was, at least it prompted the media to look into just how many foods and ingredients US companies are importing from places where there is virtually zero quality control. This is just one of the many recent articles about the problem:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/19/AR2007051901273.html?referrer=email
IMO, the main reason US food and drug makers care about keeping dangerous products off the shelves is fear of lawsuits, certainly not fear of the toothless FDA, which is far more concerned with protecting industry than with protecting people. The FDA is better than nothing, but its always too small staff has been cut under the current administration.
The US food supply is so vulnerable, with its huge reliance on cheap ingredients trumping safety concerns. China is the cheapest source for everything from ascorbic acid to processed meat, reliable US producers are being driven out of business. The security implications are pretty scary, IMO.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/19/AR2007051901273.html?referrer=email
IMO, the main reason US food and drug makers care about keeping dangerous products off the shelves is fear of lawsuits, certainly not fear of the toothless FDA, which is far more concerned with protecting industry than with protecting people. The FDA is better than nothing, but its always too small staff has been cut under the current administration.
The US food supply is so vulnerable, with its huge reliance on cheap ingredients trumping safety concerns. China is the cheapest source for everything from ascorbic acid to processed meat, reliable US producers are being driven out of business. The security implications are pretty scary, IMO.
If I was a big name pet food maker I would probably want to find a domestic supplier and run some ads.
