Food Quality

[wd9]

You are not the only one parsley. Was reading an article on low priced jewellery. The lead, yes lead used, had antimony levels consistent with battery plate lead. They buy the batteries to recycle for peanuts, we feel good about recycling, then the lead comes home to hang around kids and teens necks poisoning them with PB and SB.

You are definitely not the only one.

For ref.

Evidence of recycling of lead battery waste into highly leaded jewelry

This article is not included in your organization's subscription. However, you may be able to access this article under your organization's agreement with Elsevier.

Jeffrey D. Weidenhamer, a, and Michael L. Clementa

aDepartment of Chemistry, Ashland University, 401 College Avenue, Ashland, OH 44805, USA

Received 3 April 2007; revised 30 May 2007; accepted 1 June 2007. Available online 13 July 2007.

Abstract
Inexpensive highly leaded jewelry, much of it imported from China, remains widely available in the United States. The source materials for these items are unknown. Due to the low cost of much of this trinket jewelry, it seems likely that scrap materials may be used in their manufacture. Thirty-nine jewelry items previously determined to contain 90% or more lead by weight were analyzed for antimony content. The average antimony content of these thirty-nine items was 3.0%. The range of antimony content in the samples was from 0.3% to 6.2% antimony by weight, with twenty-seven of the samples in the range of 2–4% antimony by weight. By comparison, battery lead standard reference material obtained from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology contains 2.95% antimony by weight. While the evidence is circumstantial, the similarity in composition of these samples to battery lead is striking and supports the hypothesis that some battery lead is being recycled into highly leaded jewelry items. These results suggest that the recycling of this waste in China needs to be investigated, as the use of lead battery waste as a source material for children’s jewelry poses a clear threat to children’s health.

[riders2010]

We screen all our food, and toys for the kids etc for made in china and avoid it at all possible. Trouble is labels are not always telling the whole story, made in country x may mean put in the can at x, but the ingredients from where or vice-versa. Maybe paranoid but seen too many documentaries and news reports about it and does not feel right giving things to the kids from there. But how do we know other countries not worse?

off topic a bit but in the case of canadian beef it is such an absolute travesty that the industry has been destroyed, when it has the best product in the world, and we may have to be forced to eat what kinda beef from where? Beef producers forced out because supposedly cannot compete world wide, well how much value do you add to a pound of beef when it is the best in the world? apparently none.

[parsley]

As producers, maybe we need to invite ourselves to the "value-chain" production line being promoted as our economic saviour.

As producers, shouldn't we take keen interest in the quality of the end product if we want to maintain our continuity as suppliers of raw product?

Do any producer associations you know of seriously focus on the quality of the finished product?

I have read France's producers are particularly fussy re end product. Pars

[riders2010]

No it's all about money and we allow world wide trade deals where entities can take advantage of some chineese or pakistani or bangledesh person who has nothing and therefore will work for a penny to produce a product it's labelled as more efficient only in terms of cost of prodcuction and workable for free trade etc. Free trade is a hoax that perpetuates the problem you have listed above.

Very good topic that is much more serious than many people take it' my self included. How do you get the consumer else where to value the best beef in the world for example if they make a penny an hour?

[riders2010]

Sorry should have read yes to your first question and no to the part of org. do not look at quality like they should.

[parsley]

I'll reply tommorow,as I've been writing on my novel all day and I'm wiped. Pars

[grassfarmer]

Who says we have the best beef in the world? Usually people who haven't traveled and tasted beef elsewhere, commodity producer groups like ABP and CCA who seem to have an interest is defending the status quo industrial food system.
How good can our mainstream commodity beef be when sizable parts of the consuming world won't allow it's importation due to the use of artificial growth hormones? and domestic consumers are turning in droves to buying direct from the producer whether it be hormone free, organic, grass-fed, ethically raised, welfare friendly raised etc?
I think we have the conditions to produce some of the best beef in the world but unfortunately are choosing to play the commodity, low quality, industrial ag game instead - and we are losing the game.

[parsley]

I am holding in my hand, a magazine called Baker's Journal,August/September 2010 Edition.

It goes to the baking trade.

There is an article in it called:
"Alberta/Duchess owners Discover Edmonton is ready for a Parisian-Style Patisserie.

"All products are baked from scratch. using natural ingredients and no artificial preservatives or stabilizers. Duchess is also particular about sourcing-for example, butter comes from New Zealand....."

New Zealand

New Zealand

[parsley]

I am an eater. A good one. I can recognize smells of over 50 different herbs and spices. I am a good eater.

Many people who source and buy raw materials and ingredients are also good eaters.

This company is buying NZ butter.

Why?

Because New Zealand has the best dairy products in the world. I have stayed in NZ and gorged on their dairy.

We can only compete with them when we learn from them.

Excellence. It is the hallmark of future premium sales.

Canadian farmers have to decide if they want to grow and sell non-premium raw materials by the s#%tload, and send it to China and then buy back the manufactured food to feed your kids, or if they want to grow premium raw product, and supply premium domestic and foreign buyers' requeats.

The complaints on AV increasingly refer to diminishing margins on quantity shipments.

Does the biggest profit lie in quantity or quality?

Who do you want to be?

[parsley]

Here I go talking to myself again furrow, lol. Be nice , or I'll make you a character siphonoing gas in one of my books. LOL

Okay, here's a couple of headlines that arrived today:

1. "The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned the Michigan-based Penguin Juice Company that its products are considered adulterated as they are not pasteurized, despite being labeled as such..."

2. "China warns of death sentence for serious food safety violations

Imposing the death penalty for the worst offences and the mulling of a ban on a bakery bleaching agent are the latest measures unveiled this week by Chinese authorities as part of its ongoing battle to tackle food safety breaches..."

and then grassfarmer, this blip addresses what you wrote:

3."Innovation key to keeping up with growing private label, report

Increased competition from private label products means that food and beverage manufacturers must focus on innovation in order to maintain market share, warns a new report..."

Quality.
Excellence

Canadians are the folks with enough money to buy quality food. IMHO Pars