Do you really know where your food comes from?
Realizing it may cost them more in the long run, consumers have begun taking a more critical look at where their food comes from, especially if it might originate from countries where safety standards may not be as rigorous.
There's a high probability, for instance, that your ‘Canadian’ apple juice is made from apples grown in such far-flung nations such as Chile or China. Deceptive? Not necessarily – but certainly misleading.
The fact is ‘Made in Canada’ simply means that 51% of the production cost was incurred here; the goods themselves can come from anywhere.
Corporations buy commodities from the cheapest source. In the case of apple juice concentrate, China has rapidly emerged as the world's lowest cost producer. It’s also a cheap source of cinnamon, garlic and, increasingly, processed fish – to name but a few items.
Companies that turn to China for ingredients say they do their own due diligence to make sure they’re safe. But the jury is still out on that one.
And going organic may not help that much either, suggests the National Post.
One Ottawa consumer turned to Europe’s Best frozen spinach because the fresh organic option wasn’t keeping long enough. But he’s recently stopped buying the product after discovering the 'Product of China' fine print on the back of the packaging.
Describing himself as ‘brand aware’, this otherwise savvy shopper never assumed this particular product actually originated in Europe – but nor did he think it got its start in China either.
“I didn’t think for a moment I was getting spinach from Europe. I assumed it was coming from the States like a lot of these products do, but I was blown away that it was coming from China,” he says, dropping the brand because of “the environmental footprint and the absolute distrust of the Chinese quality control mechanisms.”
The onslaught of Chinese food exports is just one more aspect of a beleaguered food system that depends on cheapness due to low labour costs and substitutes largely anonymous inputs where it can.
Does this worry you? Are you doing anything about it? Are you willing to pay more to be a locavore?By Gordon Powers, MSN Money
Posted by: Food Guru | Jul 14, 2021 11:27:56 AM
In terms of Organic. I suggest you only purchase Organic Fruits if you eat the skin. If the fruit needs peeling, you basically discard of the outside layer where the pesticide coats the fruit. There is no study the pesticide will leech through the skin. So why pay more when you don't have to.
Posted by: Jones | Jul 15, 2021 10:28:37 AM
Completely untrue. Pesticides do leach though the skins of many fruits. The exceptions being melons and citrus fruits, but their skins are inedible anyways. There is a downloadable list of 12 fruits and vegetables that should only be consumed if organic (they contain the most pesticides), and 15 that don't have to be purchased as organic (least amount of pesticides). It can be found at www.foodnews.org. Personally, I buy all my fruits, vegetables and meats from a local farmers market that is 100% organic and open all year round. When you factor in that everything is cash and carry (no tax) and the quality of food you are receiving, it is actually a lot cheaper than shopping at a grocery store. Also, you are dealing directly with the person who grows or raises the food you are buying. These farmers love what they do and it shows in their products. Many offer tours of their farms so you can actually see how the animals are raised and how everything is grown. I will never shop at a regular grocery store again.
Posted by: hyacinth sulph | Jul 15, 2021 12:58:28 PM
I thing the goverment sh
Than God for your interest in opening up this topic.
I am a lupus victim and I use organic all the time but now I
will certainly take a closer look when I purchase.
Posted by: David | Jul 15, 2021 1:14:11 PM
Wow take a look around! 10 year old girls with 30 year old bodies...... I would not want to guess how much of NORTH Amercia is over wieght...... TO MUCH GROWTH and other chems in the livestock.
We took a trip a month ago to Cuba, and my wife said " all the cows are skinny and thin" I had to laugh and tell her that COW is what they are supposed to look like...
I myself iam 180 LBS 45 lbs over weight. SOMEONE explane why my food is killing me
David
Posted by: Lisa | Jul 15, 2021 2:41:02 PM
Listen to Dr. Oz. He has a TV show and he's fabulous. Companies put preservatives in the foods to, well, preserve them. The problem is, what is preserving the food is killing the human body. Stick to the outside parts of the grocery store folks. Everything is fresh there.
Posted by: John | Jul 15, 2021 7:02:47 PM
I had a talk with Anaphylaxis Canada about this very same issue, when the government wanted public input on food labelling practises a month or two ago.
I DO NOT WANT MY FOOD COMING FROM CHINA! I don't care what their "official" safe practises are, ever hear of lead in children's toys or faulty toyota brake pedals?
PRODUCT OF CANADA SHOULD BE PRODUCT OF CANADA! NOT product of china assembled in Canada and then made misleading.
Posted by: Who says | Jul 15, 2021 8:39:13 PM
Some food for thought.
Did you know that a butcher can add up to 40% heart meat in the ground chuck at your butcher shoppe/grocery store without having to declare it? They do have to label if they add cheeks, Jowels, lips..... What do you think 100% pure beef means? It means it must all come from the cow and not mixed with other meat like Pork.
Did you know that in a canned product like tomatoes that the USDA allows up to 100 insect eggs per 100 oz? The same goes for produce and fruit. You can never wash all of the insects away.
Vegeterians: Do you know how many bugs live in flour and then processed into baked goods. I am not trying to fear monger any of you but I am in the Food Industry and there is lots of data that most of you simply are not aware of. Insects, Bacteria, etc... have always been part of our food supply. It was worst 10 years ago but the pesticides have reduced many of them. What's worst - Bacteria or Pesticides? Food Borne Illness is far worst than traces of pesticides. I'll side for the latter, thanks.
Posted by: Rob | Jul 15, 2021 9:46:30 PM
Dog food made in China a few years ago killed dogs. Does the same have to happen to humans before the government steps in? Countries like Canada need to impose considerable tariffs on Chinese goods to make them recognize that their safety standards are unacceptable. Capitalists agree, financial incentives like that are the best way to induce changes.
Posted by: Ann | Jul 16, 2021 12:37:56 PM
We try to grow most of our own food for the summer, pick berries an freeze them as fresh fruits are hard to get in the grocery store in the winter except the ones from Florida or wherever and they don't even taste real. We add our frozen fruit to yogurt. We recycle our own compost and use it for the garden. There are so many restrictions on selling beef and pork that it is hard to find an organic farmer in this area, unless for their own consumption. We keep getting ads on how to go Gree, how about the government concentrating on going organic and green in our own country before we start with the whole world. That will follow. I don't think all those ads are going to help very much. Save your money for teaching Home Economics in the schools instead. The average Canadian knows how to garden and preserve their food. "They have been doing it for years. Maybe we need to slow down and look at the lifestyles we are living to get back to basics.
Posted by: dean | Jul 16, 2021 1:32:58 PM
As for eating only organic veggies/fruit: With the poor eating practices of most people ( junk food, pop, mc d's) I doubt eating organic will make any difference.
Posted by: daehan | Aug 17, 2021 5:46:25 PM
In canada, 'where does food come from?' easy - the garbage can. You eat McDonalds and junk food that is why you are so fat.