Organic May Not Mean Chinese
Trader Joes, aka TJs, one of the places for our family to shop for groceries is going to stop offering certain Chinese-sourced food products because of (what else) safety concerns. This doesn't surprise me at all. Pet food (melamine, a toxin). Children's toys (small parts, lead). Tires (missing safety features). Dumplings (insecticides). Fortune cookies (formaldehyde).
Formaldehyde? FORMALDEHYDE? What is an embalming chemical doing in cookies for goodness sake? I will grant that there are plenty of recalls across all industries because of the shortfalls of companies from other countries, and that some number of recalls are design defects, but go down the CPSW list of notices and check to see how many of the entrants are manufactured in China. My scan of about thirty random links from 2006 to present showed all but one were sourced at Chinese companies. There are an alarming number of lead paint violations.
Yes, Chinese manufacturing costs are cheap cheap cheap, but there is a price--Chinese regulation and oversight of industry is lax, there are many cases of cutting corners, repercussions are minimal. International law is difficult to enforce. Governmental reach only starts at American shores and Americans would rather sue American companies--deeper pockets and a friendlier jurisdiction.
What is the price for low prices? Our safety. Our health. At what cost, America? At what cost?
Formaldehyde? FORMALDEHYDE? What is an embalming chemical doing in cookies for goodness sake? I will grant that there are plenty of recalls across all industries because of the shortfalls of companies from other countries, and that some number of recalls are design defects, but go down the CPSW list of notices and check to see how many of the entrants are manufactured in China. My scan of about thirty random links from 2006 to present showed all but one were sourced at Chinese companies. There are an alarming number of lead paint violations.
Yes, Chinese manufacturing costs are cheap cheap cheap, but there is a price--Chinese regulation and oversight of industry is lax, there are many cases of cutting corners, repercussions are minimal. International law is difficult to enforce. Governmental reach only starts at American shores and Americans would rather sue American companies--deeper pockets and a friendlier jurisdiction.
What is the price for low prices? Our safety. Our health. At what cost, America? At what cost?
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