This may amaze you....but one year after the big China food scare, many of us are still eating food imported from that country, and not even realizing it.
Despite massive recalls of pet food and baby formula, we found a surprising number of products from China on the shelves of several grocery stores.
Shocked to Find Popular Brands from ChinaMartha Roberts cares a lot about where her food -- and her dog's food -- comes from....ever since she learned about pet food contaminated with Chinese Melamine, that was blamed in the deaths of hundreds of cats and dogs in 2007.
Martha says
"I'm very concerned about some of the scares we've had about china food products....the dog food....baby formula." She's now a big proponent of eating American-produced food.
"I like to buy made-in-the-USA products....plus it will help our economy."
More Chinese Food than you ThinkIt's a great idea. But we investigated the grocery aisles.... and discovered you may still be feeding your family food from China. We're not just talking about the obvious-- like Chinese water chestnuts, or other fixings for traditional Chinese dinners.
How about
snack packs of Dole and Del Monte Mandarin Oranges, a staple in many kids' lunch boxes?
Martha says
"I was very surprised to see these products, popular food, coming from China."But with new US Federal rules requiring country labels on produce, meat, and fish, you you may find "Product of China" on a favorite food.
How Safe is it?Is it safe? Lauren Niemes of the Nutrition Council told me
"these are national brands, these companies have a large vested state in their brands, they have instituted their own safety controls in these countries."Niemes says she trusts Dole and Del Monte, as they have too much to lose.
And Dole, in a statement, told me its oranges are "absolutely safe" ...and says its Chinese facilities "exceed US standards." Del Monte also says in a letter to customer who inquire that it applies "strict US quality standards on all its imported products."
Read below for the full statements from both companies.
Niemes is more concerned about other Chinese imports, like farm raised fish....such as the
Perch and
Flounder we found in the frozen food aisle. She worries about high levels of antibiotics that could be added to their tanks, and what's done after they are captured.
She says
"What happens after they are harvested to maintain freshness...how do they add color?"
It's Not Just Fish and FruitOther foods from China, according to the USDA include SOME of the following:
- Apple Juice
- Dried Fruit and Berries
- Whole and Dried Garlic
- Ginseng
- Fresh and Dried Mushrooms
- Sausage casings
- Candy
- Scallops
- Sardines
- Shrimp
Not all of those foods are imported from China, but some are.
As a result of the Melamine scare, the US FDA has toughened its regulations and inspections. But it says it still can't inspect more than 1 - 2% of the products coming from China.
Which is why consumers like Martha will be reading labels a lot more closely from now on.
So What can you do?If you're concerned... look for food that specifically says "Product of the USA."
And stick with big name brands that have their reputations on the line, and probably do more to guarantee their products are safe.
And you don't waste your money. I'm John Matarese.
_________________________
Del Monte Statement to Customers:
Thank you for your letter. We’re glad you took the time to contact us and appreciate the opportunity to respond.
The vast majority of Del Monte products are produced in the United States. Some, however, such as Mandarin Oranges, are not grown in commercial quantities in the U.S. and must be sourced from overseas locations. Also, due to the large amount of products Del Monte produces, we sometimes need to purchase fruits and vegatables from outside the United States so that we can ensure a continuing supply of high quality products for our consumers at an attractive price. In order to provide the freshest product possible, these fruits and vegatables must be packed immediately in the vicinity where they are harvested. Likewise, some minor ingredients used in our products are not manufactured domestically, and must be sourced from foreign sources.
Regardless of the country of origin, please know that Del Monte’s strict U.S. quality and operations standards apply to all of our products. Our pesticide practices, water purity standards, sanitation requirements, finished product quality, and all other standards and procedures apply equally to our U.S. and non-U.S. products. Additionally, all of our fruit and vegatable products packed outside of the U.S. are clearly labeled with the country of origin.
Thank you again for your letter. We hope our products will be completely satisfactory in the future._____________________
Dole Statement to John Matarese:
Thank you for contacting Dole regarding our mandarin oranges.The product is absolutely safe and we have one of the highest levels of quality assurance in the food business. Following is some information regarding our sourcing and production practices:
Dole Packaged Foods, LLC is one of the largest suppliers of premium quality, healthy and nutritious fruit products and fruit juices in the world. In order to ensure year-round supply, it is necessary to grow and source fruits in many fruit-growing regions around the world.
Dole guarantees the same high quality fruits regardless of its country of origin. All products must meet Dole's stringent quality standards which meet and often exceed government requirements.
Dole has procedures in place, which ensure the quality and safety of its products from farm to fork. These procedures are documented in detailed quality manuals. Conformity with these procedures assures Dole's customers the supply of safe, wholesome and quality products.
Dole's Quality Manuals cover the following areas:
1. Fruit Growing: Dole and its fruit suppliers follow Good Agriculture Practices (GAP). Only Dole approved crop protection chemicals may be used regardless of where the crop is grown. Dole will not use any chemical banned for reasons of unacceptable health or environmental risk by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the European Union or the World Health Organization. In countries where government standards do not exist or are less protective, Dole is guided by United States, EU or WHO risk-based regulatory standards.
2. Water: Only clean potable water is used for processing. Water is tested to ensure compliance with US EPA standards for drinking water.
3. Dole follows Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) in its manufacturing and co-packers’ facilities worldwide. Dole's manufacturing and co-packers’
facilities are audited on an annual basis by internal and external auditors. All facilities are available for government inspection when required.
4. Worker Health and Hygiene: Dole has procedures in place, and experienced supervision, to ensure that food handlers meet the highest standards.
Employees are fully trained on proper food handling techniques and food safety and protection principles including formal training of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), to ensure product safety.
5. Quality Assurance: Dole has a competent worldwide quality unit that oversees compliance with all aspects of food safety, quality and all applicable standards at Dole owned and co-packers’ facilities.
6. Quality Control: Dole products are laboratory tested for conformance to established written specifications. Testing starts with raw materials, during production and after the product has been packaged in the final container. In addition, random Due Diligence testing is performed by Corporate QA at independent testing laboratories.
We strive to be a responsible and environmentally sensitive company while providing our consumers with the highest quality products at economical prices. We hope your viewers continue to have trust and confidence in all Dole products.
