(9 am. – promoted by ek hornbeck)
I wasn’t going to write anything until after the election (Go Obama!) but this is important, IMHO. Yesterday melamine was found in several egg products in South Korea following last week’s similar discovery in Japan, marking the first time the toxic chemical has been found in Chinese egg products.
Some of you have followed my pieces on the Chinese melamine scandal, here is the last one with a comprehensive list of the tainted products. Add egg products to this list now, and God knows what else! Egg products can be found in many items such as cake mixes, cookies and much more, see the list below. Having said that, don’t be alarmed, just make sure you know the provenance of your food products and read the labels carefully.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says tiny traces of melamine – less than 2.5 parts per million – are not harmful in most foods, except baby formula. I’m not reassured by this particularly in the light of this statement by no less than Congresswoman Rosa L DeLauro who has soundly rebuked them for their soft stance on Chinese imports. As of today their site still hasn’t updated this latest outbreak of tainted products.
Reuters, two hours ago:
Tens of thousands of Chinese children have fallen ill and at least four have died from drinking milk formula contaminated with melamine, which has since been found in a series of drinks and foods and led to products being pulled from shops worldwide. Widely used in making plastic kitchen utensils, melamine is added to cheat nutrition tests and can pose serious health risks if consumed in quantity.
Even Wal-Mart Stores Inc said Wednesday it plans to crack down on its Chinese suppliers, enforcing stricter quality and environmental standards.
The best way to be sure a food is egg free is to read the label. As of January 2006, manufacturers of foods sold in the United States must list on their labels whether a food contains any of the most common allergens. This means that you should be able to find statements like these somewhere on the label: “contains egg ingredients,” “made using egg ingredients,” or “made in a facility that also processes eggs.” If you find products that contain egg and there’s no proper labeling, report it to the authorities. Alternatively write to your representative to make sure that strict legislation is implemented.
Other composite products and foodstuffs which are not subject to veterinary checks and these are:
* biscuits
* bread
* cakes
* chocolate
* confectionery (including sweets)
* unfilled gelatine capsules
* food supplements packaged for the final consumer, containing small amounts of animal product, and those including glucosamine, chondroitin or chitosan
* meat extracts and meat concentrates
* olives stuffed with fish
* pasta and noodles not mixed or filled with meat product
* soup stocks and flavorings packaged for the final consumer, containing meat extracts, meat concentrates, animal fats, or fish oils, powders or extracts.
More egg products here, this is a very long list!
Ok, for those who want an alternative to eggs, please read this book, I’ll see if I can find a free version online.
One more thing, be a good egg and GOTV!
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http://in.ibtimes.com/articles…
this makes for a very limited menu, but at least it is a healthy one for my 2 growing childern.
The crisis of our toxic food supply, which directly affects EVERY American, has been shamefully absent from the Presidential Campaign.
If you add this story, and the raccoon dog story (ewww), to HFCS and other corn products, you get a real incentive for supporting local, community supported agriculture (CSA’s) and growing your own organic vegetables.
I tells ya’, we’re doomed.
Unless we do something, and I think taking action to reverse the stresses on the environment has political implications.
Meanwhile, don’t eat penguin eggs.