When 2/3 of the US/Canada is under snow and freezing weather, where do you think the vast majority of produce comes from? The northern 2/3 of continental US/Canada import everything save what little is greenhouse grown, whether that import is from southern states or international, the vast majority of US/Canadians don’t seem to care as long as they can get “fresh” peaches or peas in January.
True, the US grows more than enough food to feed itself every year. People don’t want to eat preserved (canned, jarred, frozen, pickled) produce and root vegetables and apples all winter. They don’t have to.
Say a Chinese farmer grows 6 tonnes of peas. He saturates the Chinese market with 4 tonnes of them fresh, what does he do with the rest? Well, he freezes another ton of them for shipping to whoever wants them frozen, and cans another ton for whoever wants them canned. Those shipments go out to whoever took his (likely lowest) offer. Ever shopped for food at a dollar store? Lots of stuff from China in there.
Another kicker? Canned and frozen items, if they contain produce from more than one country, then don’t have to mark the country of origin of each of the produce items, only the country where it was all packed together into the retail bag you’re buying. So you could buy a can of peas/carrots/corn and the label will say where it was packaged, NOT where each of the veg came from, UNLESS they all happened to come from the same country.
Got any mixed veg cans in that free bag of food? You don’t have any idea where that came from. Give it back. Don’t throw it out, though. Throwing it out would be a real douche move. That’s the kind of stuff that keeps people from wanting to give in the first place.
Again unless they are painting the peas with lead paint or adding fake drugs none of these are relevant.
And I’m pretty sure pet food is not the same as canned peas either. Although having had the misfortune of being served canned peas as a child I’m not positive about this claim.
Just give them back but don’t deny someone else food that was given in the spirit of charity.
I’m sure the families of the dead are giving thanks it wasn’t canned peas.
You actually don’t care if there’s lead in your toothpaste? Or lead paint on toys intended for small children?
Why are you defending the shitstains responsible for this?
Maybe you aren’t as much as a foodie as me, but toothpaste and painted toys aren’t at the top of the list of things I would eat. Did you read the OP? Did she get a painted toy in her bag?
I guess I just love those wacky Chinese… what can I say.
Ok, I can say that you were asked to provide one single example of a death caused by a canned vegetable from China and you provided links to fake drugs (very similar manufacturers to major food packagers) and toys with lead paint.
So, do you have one example of a death caused by a Chinese canned food or not? If so, do you want to bet I can find one from a similar product from the US, or UK, or Mexico, or… well you pick it.
A Ford Pinto manufactured in the 70’s had a gas tank that was prone to explosion. Fords are made in America. America also grows corn. Some corn is Pop Corn. Cars made in America can explode… Corn made in America can Pop. No more American products for me!
Also, all of the Billions of Chinese are “Shitstains” through guilt by association apparently… or maybe all Chinese companies. By the same logic, apparently all Straight Dope posters are… (edited to avoid a warning).
I really don’t care to spend too much time on figuring out the quotes etc.
Honey is not a canned vegetable, nor is Melamine Milk, nor are fake pills and electronics.
Please post something relevant.
We are not debating if Chinese products overall are good or bad, but if a can of peas should be treated like toxic waste because someone who is taking free food finds it beneath their standards to eat, and would rather throw it away than give it to someone who is hungry.
Why on earth would China be trying to poison us when they rely so much upon exports to the rest of the world? If you’d use half of your brain, you’d realise that their aim would be to KEEP US ALIVE so that they can continue to make money out of us.
Ditto with our pets, and their kids. FFS, I’ve never heard anything more ridiculous in my life.
The right question to ask is “what is the rate of contaminated food coming from China, and, equally important, how does that rate compare to equivalent foods processed in America?” IF there’s a statistically significant increase in risk from China (and I’m willing to accept that there might be), then we have to ask if that increased risk justifies wasting a can of peas.
We need numbers, people! How are we supposed to make decisions without data?!
Well, maybe her food processor is broken, and she’s upset that she can’t have Whirled Peas.
Ironically enough, I had to return two jars of Almond Butter yesterday because of the possibility of (listeria? salmonella? something…). Jarred right here in the good, ol’ USA.
Thank you for using this example… Rancho Feeding Corp is one beef producer in the US. Are you planning to toss out any meat from the US you are given?
You may have heard of a few products that came from China that were tainted… so you are condemning all of them. Were your peas produced by a plant that has any history of problems?
GM produced some cars with faulty ignitions that caused deaths… if someone wants to give you an American car will you throw it away?
Please don’t go to a food bank ever again. If you aren’t hungry enough to eat Chinese peas you aren’t hungry enough to get free food.
More importantly don’t throw it… give it back. Better yet sort through everything before you leave and let the people who are volunteering their time to work the food bank see what kind of person you are.
Be as picky as you want, but only take home the food you plan to use so as many people as possible can eat. Someone else may be picky in a different way than you and would want the peas you’ve rejected.