I recently had a girls night when everyone wanted to order Chinese food for dinner. Happy to say, I brought a Tupperware of Spicy peanut butter ginger kale. One of my friends asked me what they should order. Of course my response was nothing, but if you have to order, order the spicy peanut shrimp. I can honestly say I had no idea what to order unless it was steamed vegetables which were probably drenched in pesticides as well. When the food came, I tasted the shrimp and boy was it delicious! So delicious I was scared of it. My curiosity sparked regarding Chinese imported food.
The next morning I checked my email finding a message from my step father about food imported from China. It really bothers me how the US still allows food in the states that is imported from China.
Did you know there are no health regulations with any of their food development or processed foods? The food we are importing is increasing in huge numbers. In 1995 we imported $800 million worth of seafood and agricultural products. In 2006 it was $4.1 billion!
Documented data
Download CRS REPORT April 2007, the FDA stopped the shipment of nearly 850 imported shipments of foods containing grains, fish, vegetables, oils, spices, nuts and other unsafe foods that were contaminated with pesticides to salmonella. Oh and that’s just from inspecting 1.3% of the imported foods from China. What happens to the other 98.7% that’s reaching us American’s? Most of the food we consume has traces of pesticides on or in it. So if the FDA was alarmed about pesticides on China’s products, that’s something to be scared about.
In June 2007 the US banned 5 types of fish and shrimp from China. Our inspectors found traces antibiotics and cancer-causing chemicals in the products.
The US has been stopping at least 200 imported shipments of Chinese food per month. It either has to be destroyed or shipped back.
December 2009, the US and China signed an agreement that places new requirements on only 10 food products exported by the Chinese companies. The products include some farm-raised fish, some preserved foods and pet foods, all these foods are under suspicion of being purposely tainted.
This is a small list of foods originating from China imported to the U.S.
- Apple juice
- Dried fruit used in cereals
- Dried Garlic
- Pine nuts
- Mandarin oranges
- Confections/ candy
- Cocoa butter
- Hog guts bladders stomachs for sausage casings
- instant coffees
- frozen catfish (usually contaminated with illegal veterinary drugs)
- fresh ginger (drenched in pesticides)
- melon seeds (cancer-causing toxins)
- Dried dates
- mushrooms
- onions
- canned black beans
- canned kidney beans
- peas
- peppers
- pickled radish
- bamboo shoots
- Napa cabbage (used in Chinese cuisine)
- ginseng
- pastries
- backed goods
- soy sauce
- tofu
- beer
- liquor
Make sure your pet food is not from China. FDA isn’t sure what ingredients China uses for their pet products and foods. Some of you may remember the largest recall of pet food in the US history. It was because of the wheat gluten from China that contained melamine. This wheat gluten was shipped to over 100 brand name foods. I believe Hundreds of dogs and cats died in a result of China’s ignorance, greed of being cheap, irresponsible and possibly a hidden conspiracy behind poisoning our beloved family members foods.
Stay away from all processed foods! Eating fresh whole foods will almost guarantee your chances of not consuming products from China.
What to look for when shopping.
Look at the bar codes before purchasing our foods. Stay away from any bar codes with the first 3 digits being 690 through 695. Any number with or in between that range is MADE IN CHINA! Here is the list of country’s imported food bar codes.
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Prefix GS1 Country 000 – 019 GS1 United States 020 – 029 Restricted distribution (MO defined, usually for internal use) 030 – 039 GS1 United States 040 – 049 Restricted distribution (MO defined, usually for internal use) 050 – 059 Coupons 060 – 139 GS1 United States 200 – 299 Restricted distribution (MO defined, usually for internal use) 300 – 379 GS1 France 380 GS1 Bulgaria 383 GS1 Slovenia 385 GS1 Croatia 387 GS1 BIH (Bosnia-Herzegovina) 400 – 440 GS1 Germany 450 – 459 &
490 – 499GS1 Japan 460 – 469 GS1 Russia 470 GS1 Kurdistan 471 GS1 Taiwan 474 GS1 Estonia 475 GS1 Latvia 476 GS1 Azerbaijan 477 GS1 Lithuania 478 GS1 Uzbekistan 479 GS1 Sri Lanka 480 GS1 Philippines 481 GS1 Belarus 482 GS1 Ukraine 484 GS1 Moldova 485 GS1 Armenia 486 GS1 Georgia 487 GS1 Kazakhstan 489 GS1 Hong Kong 500 – 509 GS1 UK 520 GS1 Greece 528 GS1 Lebanon 529 GS1 Cyprus 530 GS1 Albania 531 GS1 MAC (FYR Macedonia) 535 GS1 Malta 539 GS1 Ireland 540 – 549 GS1 Belgium & Luxembourg 560 GS1 Portugal 569 GS1 Iceland 570 – 579 GS1 Denmark 590 GS1 Poland 594 GS1 Romania 599 GS1 Hungary 600 – 601 GS1 South Africa 603 GS1 Ghana 608 GS1 Bahrain 609 GS1 Mauritius 611 GS1 Morocco 613 GS1 Algeria 616 GS1 Kenya 618 GS1 Ivory Coast 619 GS1 Tunisia 621 GS1 Syria 622 GS1 Egypt 624 GS1 Libya 625 GS1 Jordan 626 GS1 Iran 627 GS1 Kuwait 628 GS1 Saudi Arabia 629 GS1 Emirates 640 – 649 GS1 Finland 690 – 695 GS1 China 700 – 709 GS1 Norway 729 GS1 Israel 730 – 739 GS1 Sweden 740 GS1 Guatemala 741 GS1 El Salvador 742 GS1 Honduras 743 GS1 Nicaragua 744 GS1 Costa Rica 745 GS1 Panama 746 GS1 Dominican Republic 750 GS1 Mexico 754 – 755 GS1 Canada 759 GS1 Venezuela 760 – 769 GS1 Switzerland 770 GS1 Colombia 773 GS1 Uruguay 775 GS1 Peru 777 GS1 Bolivia 779 GS1 Argentina 780 GS1 Chile 784 GS1 Paraguay 786 GS1 Ecuador 789 – 790 GS1 Brazil 800 – 839 GS1 Italy 840 – 849 GS1 Spain 850 GS1 Cuba 858 GS1 Slovakia 859 GS1 Czech 860 GS1 YU (Serbia & Montenegro) 865 GS1 Mongolia 867 GS1 North Korea 868 – 869 GS1 Turkey 870 – 879 GS1 Netherlands 880 GS1 South Korea 884 GS1 Cambodia 885 GS1 Thailand 888 GS1 Singapore 890 GS1 India 893 GS1 Vietnam 899 GS1 Indonesia 900 – 919 GS1 Austria 930 – 939 GS1 Australia 940 – 949 GS1 New Zealand 950 GS1 Global Office 955 GS1 Malaysia 958 GS1 Macau 977 Serial publications (ISSN) 978 – 979 Bookland (ISBN) 980 Refund receipts 981 – 982 Common Currency Coupons 990 – 999 Coupons
Some products from China are actually packaged in Canada. So watch out for boxes that say “Product of Canada” The ingredients is shipped to Canada to be processed and packaged. This is especially prominent in fish products!
Make sure not to purchase anything made in Hong Kong. I heard Chinese companies are using Hong Kong addresses to try to discreetly fool consumers to keep purchasing there products.
There is so much information on the web about imported goods. Be aware what you are feeding your family. Your children, pets, friends, when coming over to your house are trusting your integrity not to feed them poison and to be aware what you are bringing into your home. Please, please, please stop purchasing food products from China. The US will not stop buying until you stop first! Be a leader, not a follower. Protect your family as I plan on protecting mine. Thanks for reading and for understanding my passion for wanting you to live a healthier, happier, longer life. xxx <3 A&L