Alarm Bells Ring Over China Food Imports

How Safe Is Our Supply? Tainted Pet Food Ingredient Could Have Reached Humans

(CBS/AP)  The list of Chinese food exports rejected at American ports reads like a chef's nightmare: pesticide-laden pea pods, drug-laced catfish, filthy plums and crawfish contaminated with salmonella.

Yet, it took a much more obscure item, contaminated wheat gluten, to focus U.S. public attention on a very real and frightening fact: China's chronic food safety woes are now an international concern.

In recent weeks, scores of cats and dogs in America have died of kidney failure blamed on eating pet food containing gluten from China that was tainted with melamine, a chemical used in plastics, fertilizers and flame retardants. While humans aren't believed at risk, the incident has sharpened concerns over China's food exports and the limited ability of U.S. inspectors to catch problem shipments.

CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reported Thursday that the tainted Chinese wheat gluten was human grade — meaning nothing but luck kept it out of the food stock destined for human dinner plates (read more).

While the public was focused on the danger to their pets, sources tell CBS News that the FDA had tracked at least one suspect batch of wheat gluten into the human food supply, quietly quarantined some products and notified the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention to watch for new patients admitted to hospitals with renal or kidney failure.

"This really shows the risks of food purity problems combining with international trade," said Michiel Keyzer, director of the Center for World Food Studies at Amsterdam's Vrije Universiteit.

Just as with manufactured goods, exports of meat, produce, and processed foods from China have soared in recent years, prompting outcries from foreign farm sectors that are feeling pinched by low Chinese prices.

Worried about losing access to foreign markets and stung by tainted food products scandals at home, China has in recent years tried to improve inspections, with limited success.

The problems the government faces are legion. Pesticides and chemical fertilizers are used in excess to boost yields while harmful antibiotics are widely administered to control disease in seafood and livestock. Rampant industrial pollution risks introducing heavy metals into the food chain.

Farmers have used cancer-causing industrial dye Sudan Red to boost the value of their eggs and fed an asthma medication to pigs to produce leaner meat. In a case that galvanized the public's and government's attention, shoddy infant formula with little or no nutritional value has been blamed for causing severe malnutrition in hundreds of babies and killing at least 12.

China's Health Ministry reported almost 34,000 food-related illnesses in 2005, with spoiled food accounting for the largest number, followed by poisonous plants or animals and use of agricultural chemicals.

With China increasingly intertwined in global trade, Chinese exporters are paying a price for unsafe practices. Excessive antibiotic or pesticide residues have caused bans in Europe and Japan on Chinese shrimp, honey and other products. Hong Kong blocked imports of turbot last year after inspectors found traces of malachite green, a possibly cancer-causing chemical used to treat fungal infections, in some fish.

One source of the problem is China's fractured farming sector, comprised of small landholdings which make regulation difficult, experts said.

Small farms ship to market with little documentation. Testing of the safety and purity of farm products such as milk is often haphazard, hampered by fuzzy lines of authority among regulators. Only about 6 percent of agricultural products were considered pollution-free in 2005, while safer, better quality food officially stamped as "green" accounts for just 1 percent of the total, according to figures compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

[advanceus]

This is one opportunity the American Public Can Control! The Chinese people have infected our lives for several years as far as import and exports. We have to pay very high tariffs to send our products to the Chinese people and they pay very little if any. Yet they are the reason we pay very high prices for our building products. Now they are selling us food that has the potential to kill us. When they were suspected of the animal poisoning they stated "they didn't export to the U.S.". Bull! Let's speak up on this issue not only for our lives but our prosperity it is time to buy AMERICAN - WE DO NOT HAVE TO BUY AND USE THEIR TAINTED PRODUCTS!

[perm3800]

"FDA had tracked at least one suspect batch of wheat gluten into the human food supply, quietly quarantined some products and notified the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention to watch for new patients admitted to hospitals with renal or kidney failure."

Why warn folks upfront when we might prevent illness when we can profit from it after they are admitted to hospitals?????

[asor1-2009]

Americans are too great a nation to be subjected to this horror. We can raise our own food, why aren't we? We need NO food from China, let's prove it.

[truthword]

Don't drink apple juice, it's all made from concentrate that comes from COMMIE CHINA.

[zootallures2]

What difference does it make. Rich important people don't eat it. And it increases the bottom line for the already wealthy. That's what American Freedom is all about. Getting rich enough not to have any rules.

[zootallures2]

Lobbiests for Cambodia or something have cheaper more poisonous junk to sell you instead? What is so unusual about 12 cats dying out of how many????

[zootallures2]

Doesn't bother me. I doubt I'll be going to hell, and geez wiz, won't I just miss the land of lying swindling a$$holes. I'll really miss how you deny the 9/11 controlled demolition and how cute you are when you say "the evil doers."

[drinuk]

You have all that land, enough lovely chemicals to cover the earth, your farmers are suffering and you are importing foodstuffs. Come On America ! Wise Up, Get Real. You should be so independent of anyone let alone junk poisoned C R A P Get a grip of yourself or go down the toilet, grab a shovel and start growing your own.

BUT paradoxically if the FDA has it's way to steralise and iradiate all your home grown fruit, veggies and other natural produce, your export business will be dead in the water. They will do it because Big Pharma has told them to do it. God Bless America and the corrupt.

[rudy654-2009]

"We need NO food from China, let's prove it."

That's going to be hard to prove when many farmers are now growing corn for our fuel supply.

[cntrygrllst]

There maybe alot of corn being raised for fuel but there is still alot of farmers being paid to keep their fields in grass

[missyx21]

Don't blame China, I blame Americans/our government. We've become so dependent on China that we don't know what to do when something like this happens. And yet, Bush is still giving taxes breaks to those who move their company overseas. I don't get it. I hate China as much as the next person but we are to blame.

Everything is cheaper when it's from China, and that's what Americans want. Look around, everything is either made in China or India. (I understand there are still some things made in the US) I don't get it, what does America have to offer? I just looked around my desk and the only thing I saw that is made here in the United State are Wet ones(hand wipe), everything else is from China, Canada, Mexico, and Sweden. And a lot of the things on my desk are American band name stuff and yet it's made someplace else. Everything is made overseas now a days. Our cars, our clothes, our food, our electronics, everyday products. WTH, no wonder America's FAT, they don't make anything and have nothing to offer.

[graysand-2009]

I lost two siamese kittens to to that *** before the alert was sounded for a recall. It made me angry, but then we find out that a "suspected" batch "may" have made it into our human food supply! Where is THAT alert? What does it take for the FDA to sound a recall for that? How many Americans need to be hospitalized or drop dead before the government decides to let us know about poisons that foreign companies are dumping into our foodchain because they know we will pay more than they can get at home for the ***? How about our own guv testing and policing at least the "human-grade" foodstuffs that is imported? Sure it'll take up time and money, but it'll create more jobs for Americans and make our food a little safer. But, as more of our own companies are moving abroad, I guess that the almighty dollar is a bigger lobbyist than any healthwise organization on our own soil can be. I just can't believe that a few animals dying is more important that the fact that we might have had our children dropping dead from this tainted food. We all know that cereal companies would have been the top buyers of this stuff!

[graysand-2009]

I lost two siamese kittens to to that *** before the alert was sounded for a recall. It made me angry, but then we find out that a "suspected" batch "may" have made it into our human food supply! Where is THAT alert? What does it take for the FDA to sound a recall for that? How many Americans need to be hospitalized or drop dead before the government decides to let us know about poisons that foreign companies are dumping into our foodchain because they know we will pay more than they can get at home for the ***? How about our own guv testing and policing at least the "human-grade" foodstuffs that is imported? Sure it'll take up time and money, but it'll create more jobs for Americans and make our food a little safer. But, as more of our own companies are moving abroad, I guess that the almighty dollar is a bigger lobbyist than any healthwise organization on our own soil can be. I just can't believe that a few animals dying is more important that the fact that we might have had our children dropping dead from this tainted food. We all know that cereal companies would have been the top buyers of this stuff!

[graysand-2009]

I lost two siamese kittens to that *** before the alert was sounded for a recall. It made me angry, but then we find out that a "suspected" batch "may" have made it into our human food supply! Where is THAT alert? What does it take for the FDA to sound a recall for that? How many Americans need to be hospitalized or drop dead before the government decides to let us know about poisons that foreign companies are dumping into our foodchain because they know we will pay more than they would get at home for the same thing? How about our own guv testing and policing at least the "human-grade" foodstuffs that is imported? Sure it'll take up time and money, but it'll create more jobs for Americans and make our food a little safer. But, as more of our own companies are moving abroad, I guess that the almighty dollar is a bigger lobbyist than any healthwise organization on our own soil can be. I just can't believe that a few animals dying is more important that the fact that we might have had our children dropping dead from this tainted food. We all know that cereal companies would have been the top buyers of this stuff!

[graysand-2009]

I lost two siamese kittens to that *** before the alert was sounded for a recall. It made me angry, but then we find out that a "suspected" batch "may" have made it into our human food supply! Where is THAT alert? What does it take for the FDA to sound a recall for that? How many Americans need to be hospitalized or drop dead before the government decides to let us know about poisons that foreign companies are dumping into our foodchain because they know we will pay more than they would get at home for the same thing? How about our own guv testing and policing at least the "human-grade" foodstuffs that is imported? Sure it'll take up time and money, but it'll create more jobs for Americans and make our food a little safer. But, as more of our own companies are moving abroad because of cheaper labor, I guess that the almighty dollar is a bigger lobbyist than any healthwise organization on our own soil can be. I just can't believe that a few animals dying is more important that the fact that we might have had our children dropping dead from this tainted food. We all know that cereal companies would have been the top buyers of this stuff!

[graysand-2009]

I lost two siamese kittens to that *** before the alert was sounded for a recall. It made me angry, but then we find out that a "suspected" batch "may" have made it into our human food supply! Where is THAT alert? What does it take for the FDA to sound a recall for that? How many Americans need to be hospitalized or drop dead before the government decides to let us know about poisons that foreign companies are dumping into our foodchain because they know we will pay more than they would get at home for the same thing? How about our own guv testing and policing at least the "human-grade" foodstuffs that is imported? Sure it'll take up time and money, but it'll create more jobs for Americans and make our food a little safer. But, as more of our own companies are moving abroad because of cheaper labor, I guess that the almighty dollar is a bigger lobbyist than any healthwise organization on our own soil can be. I just can't believe that a few animals dying is more important that the fact that we might have had our children dropping dead from this tainted food. We all know that cereal companies would have been the top buyers of this stuff!

[graysand-2009]

I lost two Siamese kittens to that *** before the alert was sounded for a recall. It made me angry, but then we find out that a "suspected" batch "may" have made it into our human food supply! Where is THAT alert? What does it take for the FDA to sound a recall for that? How many Americans need to be hospitalized or drop dead before the government decides to let us know about poisons that foreign companies are dumping into our foodchain because they know we will pay more than they would get at home for the same thing? How about our own guv testing and policing at least the "human-grade" foodstuffs that is imported? Sure it'll take up time and money, but it'll create more jobs for Americans and make our food a little safer. But, as more of our own companies are moving abroad because of cheaper labor, I guess that the almighty dollar is a bigger lobbyist than any healthwise organization on our own soil can be. I just can't believe that a few animals dying is more important that the fact that we might have had our children dropping dead from this tainted food. We all know that cereal companies would have been the top buyers of this stuff!

[inventagod2]

"the FDA had tracked at least one suspect batch of wheat gluten into the human food supply, quietly quarantined some products and notified the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention to watch for new patients admitted to hospitals with renal or kidney failure."

Bu$h sells the USA to China, and they poison those who must make the payments...

[kanata5]

I have thought from day one...was that wheat gluten destined for the human foods, and somebody screwed up and got it in the pet food instead?

It disgusts me that Canada and the USA purchases this type of stuff from China at all, especially when our own countries are so big and wealthy.

We know how China treats it's people, why would we think they would treat OUR food any better!

Let it be known that we would like China to keep is salmonella, pesticides, chemicals, and filth OVER THERE. Oh, and the wheat gluten too. Shame on you China

[jn122736]

%u201CFDA had tracked at least one suspect batch of wheat gluten into the human food supply, QUIETLY quarantined some products and notified the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention to watch for new patients admitted to hospitals with renal or kidney failure."
------------------
Do you wonder why the FDA kept the discovery quiet?

Mega-corporations now own or control almost the entire government, especially the current administration and the FDA.

The pharmaceutical conglomerates, the medical profession, including both doctors and hospitals (which has become a monopoly-controlled and totally profit-oriented industry), all make billions from people getting sick.

Walmart is MAJOR Chinese importer whose success can be attributed mainly to importing products from china at 10% what it would cost them in America and selling the products to Americans for 75% what they would pay for the same products made in America. This also is the reason Walmart has driven most competitors out of business.
We participated because we PERSONALLY saved money.

This is NOT solely the fault of the government and the mega corporations; rather it is mainly the fault of the American citizens for allowing it to happen. We citizens obliviously slept through the take over.

When less than 50% of eligible voters turnout for presidential elections and less than 20% for primary elections mega-corporations don%u2019t actually have to buy our government, we simply give it away.

[sevenveils]

Something does not make sense.

First the FDA, by there actions appear to be supportive of business and not the citizen which is grossly and neglectfully wrong

Second. since the US is the largest producer of wheat, why processed wheat products coming from China? How can Chinese processed wheat products be cheaper than those manufactured on this continent???

What is the business model makes foreign processed products using raw materials from the Americas (North and South) cheaper than domestically made products?

[terrapin78]

Thanks to Open Trade agreements, we are more vulnerable than ever. But in the guise of harming business, nothing will be done. The almighty $ (or Yuan) trumps citizen safety again.

Thanks GWB!

[terrapin78]

What is the business model makes foreign processed products using raw materials from the Americas (North and South) cheaper than domestically made products?

Posted by Sevenveils at 12:52 PM : Apr 13, 2007

When theses "products" are filled with poison and other non-food fillers, of course you can afford to sell for less. What does it matter if they kill off a few Americans with their poisons.

Where is the FDA and USDA? They are no longer watchdogs but cheerleaders fo9r industry!

[kanata5]

What do we need wheat Gluten for anyway?

Is there anything the Bush isn't responsible for?
Give me a break. All the other countries purchase stuff from China long before he ever came into power...

No longer do we only need to know the ingredients in our products, we have to know from where the products are from.

Why doesn't CBS News find out for us thwat products were 'quietly quarantined" as they have the means to do this type of investigating for us.
Thank you

[lochlan-2009]

Mornin' America, hope you had a good sleep during the Bush Admin. Guess what, your government has sold you out. Not even the food you feed your children is safe from the corrupt in D.C..

[lochlan-2009]

The FDA should clean house and fire all management involoved in the cover up.

Still believe your gov. is representing you, and the media is telling the story on your behalf. Shouldn't the story read,

"FDA knows food is tainted and doesn't tell Americans".

[djberson]

There is a safe way to ensure you are getting good, wholesome, and safe food. Shop more selectively. Support local agricultural enterprise with your purchases, and avoid corporate-produced processed foods as much as possible. Sure, it costs more but you'll be better off for it.

[coverj]

My opinion is that all this tainted pet food has something to do with terrorism.

[inspire411]

The Free Trade Agreement is the most disastrous decision this country has ever made. The effects are now seen not only in this realm (tainted pet food), but also for the millions of americans who have lost jobs.

We should be ashamed of ourselves for forgetting our own citizens and disabling our own economy...

[erasmus6]

I hate to say I told you so but I TOLD YOU SO!
Who the h-e-l-l is in charge here anyways? It is pathetic. NO food should be aloud in our countries without being inspected, EVER. It says that the Food and Drug Administration can only inspect "a tiny percentage of the millions of shipments that enter the country". Then what can't be inspected should be turned away!!
Like I have said before, ANYTHING could be in our foods that come from other countries. They do not have the regulations that our countries have. AND if you think you are safe eating food from your own country, think again. I think you would be very surprised at what you find in it! And one last thought- What better way is there for a country to get to another country than through their food chain. We need to start looking after ourselves.

[frankly6]

The FDA is run by a bunch of former industry lobyist cronies apointed by Bush. They are not protecting our food supply they are there to protect the bottom line of industry.

[sevenveils]

The lack of environmental and worker safety laws in China is one main draw for international businesses to operate industrial plants in China. This lack of controls has come around full circle. And the parent corporations should be held fully accountable for their subsidiaries operating in China.

[clevercandi]

The best way to defeat the enemy is to either stop their food supply or taint it.

Enough said.

[sevenveils]

Wheat gluten graded for human consumption is contaminated. Food inspectors in both Canada and the US is so lax that tens of thousands of tons of the contaminated product is now in the food chain and could be in an enormous variety of food products, like spaghetti, soups, frozen foods, practically any processed foods.

Perhaps the US should stop underfunding important federal departments in order to be able to afford those tax cuts to the wealthy.

[canaima]

frankly6, I've said it before, & I say it again here with regards to your comment:

If God looks after fools & idiots, you're in line for a double-dose of heavenly grace.

[frankly6]

Canaima

You are living proof of this.

It is a well known fact that the FDA is run by former food and drug industry executives and lobyists apointed by Bu$h. Care to dispute the facts or do you prefer to try to smear the messenger?

[kstrisha]

It's bad enough that America imports so much "discount junk" from China, but why the hell do we import ANY food products at all, especially wheat gluten. We have plenty of wheat right here in the midwest, in fact, I have seen piles of it rotting by the grain elevators because there was too much of it.

This just pisses me off, screw China and the companies who import their stuff. As far as dog food goes, deer meat is free, you just have to pay to have it processed. I have four dogs that didn't get sick. They also eat a brand of dry food called Dura Life, it is made by a divison of Mars foods and sold at farm stores. It is mainly corn meal instead of wheat gluten.

[kstrisha]

Qutoe:

It is a well known fact that the FDA is run by former food and drug industry executives and lobyists apointed by Bu$h.

========

Bush doesn't even need the FDA now, look at the Texes governor, Rick Perry's decision to vaccinate ALL Texas girls with Merck's STD vaccine.

Quote:

Women in
Government, the group that Merck paid to lobby for this mind-boggling order.
The Associated Press reports that one of Merck's three lobbyists in Texas is
Mike Toomey, Perry's former chief of staff. His current chief of staff's
mother-in-law, Texas Republican state Rep. Dianne White Delisi, is a state
director for Women in Government.
The governor also received $6,000 from Merck's political action committee
during his re-election campaign.

http://www.ahrp.org/cms/content/view/455/28/

[frankly6]

"If God looks after fools & idiots, you're in line for a double-dose of heavenly grace."
You are living proof of this.
Posted by Canaima at 03:05 PM : Apr 13, 2007



Thanks Canaima. It looks like you are living proof of your theory.

It is a well known fact that the FDA is run by former food and drug industry executives and lobyists apointed by Bu$h. It's part of his multibillion dollar campaign, "no corporation left behind". Perhaps you've heard of it? Care to dispute the facts or do you prefer to try to smear the messenger? Thanks for your "two cents" worth. Be sure to collect your money on your way out.

[cantshutup]

Didn't U.S. farmers used to feed the world??? what happened???

[erasmus6]

Canaima and frankly6

I don't know who is running the FDA, but whoever they are, they are IDIOTS!

[gkc99]

America used to be self-sufficient in a lot of things, but between the greedy multinationals and their neofascist puppets running the White House these days, and the ***** hound dog Globalizer #1 Bill Clinton, we are now at the mercy of the Asians.

If the Clintons and the Bushes have their way, we'd better just sell ourselves into slavery to the Asians right now and save a lot of trouble in the near future.

[randalds]

Posted by frankly6 at 10:25 PM : Apr 12, 2007

Bravo! Since the Bush administration has taken power they have slashed the budget for food inspectors in the FDA (who are supposed to inspect both human AND pet food) and staffed it with political appointees, most of them from the very industries they're supposed to inspect. He put the fox's in charge of the hen house and we are da*mn lucky that, as tragic as this story was, it didn't happen to human food first. All pet food sold in the US, by law, must be human grade. It must be safely consumable by humans, but the FDA dropped the ball big time because of lack of proper funding. Want to wait until they make the same mistake with baby food before you recognize the problem here?

[comfortmd1]

NATIONAL SECURITY

foreign companies are buying american industries and running them into the ground

Food from CHINA is proceeding into the american food chain with little or no regulation

Our national resources are being GIVEN away to foreign national companies controlled by nations like VENEZUELA with little concern about the future

Bush is a patriot my arse

[cornholio622]

Thanks to the Clintons, we are now China's. They do have the best ****** though.

[fatherteresa]

All those chickens slaughtered in China due to the bird flu epidemic, could somehow made it to the food chain of pets? Just wondering. FatherTeresa

[hypnotoad72]

Communism isn't such a good thing, neither is unregulated capitalism, and one day I fear the "multinational" corporations will have made a mistake by globalizing. (That doesn't make me a luddite, but I have learned in my 34.9 years of existence that some choices are best made with a prudent mindset.)

On the plus side, I sure as heck won't buy any food that comes from China. Most of the foodstuffs I know of are indigenous critters, but if anybody cares about life, it's time to start putting quality controls on testing, growing, and distribution.

Or pray that the toxic foods kill us all quickly, without pain.

[hypnotoad72]

cornholio622 - don't be so naive. Clinton did not start the trade imbalance. He was rightfully criticized.

It's been over 6 years since Bush II took office. The same people who criticized Clinton haven't spoken a single syllable for Bush II. (or Bush I or Reagan or anyone else relevant...)

How come Clinton is the only one persecuted for the trade imbalance? It didn't grind to a halt of 19 January 2001! (Don't get me wrong, Clinton was a two-faced sleaze with a cigar fetish and Hillary is not what I'd call any better...)

[hypnotoad72]

Clarification - Clinton was rightfully criticized for not addressing the trade imbalance problem.

[kstrisha]

Quote:

%u201CFDA had tracked at least one suspect batch of wheat gluten into the human food supply, QUIETLY quarantined some products and notified the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention to watch for new patients admitted to hospitals with renal or kidney failure."
------------------
Do you wonder why the FDA kept the discovery quiet?

Mega-corporations now own or control almost the entire government, especially the current administration and the FDA.

The pharmaceutical conglomerates, the medical profession, including both doctors and hospitals (which has become a monopoly-controlled and totally profit-oriented industry), all make billions from people getting sick.

Walmart is MAJOR Chinese importer whose success can be attributed mainly to importing products from china at 10% what it would cost them in America and selling the products to Americans for 75% what they would pay for the same products made in America. This also is the reason Walmart has driven most competitors out of business.
We participated because we PERSONALLY saved money...
Posted by jn122736 at 12:34 PM : Apr 13, 2007

===========

We would be FOOLS to think that some of the tained wheat gluten didn't make it into the human food supply...